High selectivity electrocatalytic reductive amination of α-keto acids to alanine over cuprous oxide nanowires

Herein, cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) nanowires are synthesized by a simple process, realizing the high selectivity electrocatalytic reductive amination of biomass-derived pyruvate to alanine (organic product selectivity: ∼100%). Importantly, a total of 8 different amino acids can be efficiently synthesized using Cu₂O nanowires, confirming the universality of Cu₂O nanowires.