Paired Electrolysis in the Simultaneous Production of Synthetic Intermediates and Substrates.

In electrochemical processes, an oxidation half-reaction is always paired with a reduction half-reaction. Although systems for reactions such as the reduction of CO can be coupled to water oxidation to produce O at the anode, large-scale O production is of limited value. One may replace a low-value half-reaction with a compatible half-reaction that can produce a valuable chemical compound and operate at a lower potential.