Recent advances in asymmetric electrochemical organocatalysis.

Abstract

The strategic integration of asymmetric organocatalysis with electroorganic synthesis has recently emerged as a versatile synthetic platform for the construction of chiral molecular scaffolds in a sustainable fashion. This review summarizes the research progress of asymmetric electrochemical organocatalysis from 2020 to 2026, covering its fundamental principles, mechanistic frameworks, and state-of-the-art advancements. Two core organocatalytic activation modes are systematically elaborated herein: covalent catalysis, represented by enamine catalysis and N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis, which generate catalytically active intermediates through covalent bonding; and non-covalent catalysis, which operates hydrogen bonding and ion pairing to activate substrates via weak interactions. The current challenges restricting the development of this field, including reaction compatibility, stereocontrol under electrochemical conditions, and synthetic scalability, are also discussed.