Performance and pathways of electrochemical cyclohexane oxidation

Falling costs of electricity from renewable and non-renewable sources have motivated interest in electrochemical production of chemicals and fuels. Among commodity chemicals, the production of KA oil (cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone) from cyclohexane is attractive as selective alkane oxidation remains a major industrial challenge. Although this reaction has been demonstrated in the literature, its fundamental chemistry remains poorly understood. This review identifies possible pathways for the reaction mechanism, their experimental support, and remaining critical gaps in molecular understanding of electrochemical cyclohexane oxidation to KA oil.