Review—Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Alcohols Using Chemically Modified Electrodes: A Review

Electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols utilizing chemically modified electrodes is considered as a green and facile method. This method is also considered as a feasible solution for a “clean” and efficient energy production, is more economic and produces less toxic and minimal waste. Electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols is of great interest as many of its products find applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. The major classifications of chemical modification to the electrodes for electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols discussed in this review include conducting polymers, noble metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, or metal-oxides as nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide-based modifications. Despite its wide range of applications and environmentally benign nature, electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols using chemically modified electrodes is underutilized, less appreciated, and still in its infancy stages. This review aims to provide the readers with an overview in the field of electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols by incorporating two significant applications—Electroorganic conversion of alcohols to aldehydes and their applications in alcohol-based fuel cells. Further, this also presents an outlook for gaining deeper insights for making this methodology more economic, and applicable in various synthetic organic chemistry fields.