Aqueous OH/H dual-ion gradient assisted electricity effective electro-organic synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid paired with hydrogen fuel generation.

The OH/H dual-ion gradient has a hidden electromotive force of 0.82 V under standard conditions; however, its non-redox nature completely prevents its direct interconversion as electrical driving force. We show by using organic molecules whose heterogeneous electron transfer is pH dependent, OH/H dual-ion energy can be directly harvested as electrical driving force for performing simultaneous electro-organic synthesis and hydrogen fuel production in an electricity effective manner.