Electrosynthesis with split-bipolar electrodes

Bipolar electrochemistry has recently gained renewed interest as a valuable electrochemical technique for electrosynthesis applications. The peculiarity of this technology is the wireless mode of electrode reactions, that is redox processes can be driven on a conductive material, namely a bipolar electrode (BPE), without the need for an ohmic contact. A split-BPE (s-BPE) is a particular type of BPE, where two conductors are connected using an ammeter that is placed outside the electrolytic solution. While this configuration allows the two conductors to behave like a single BPE, the main advantage of such a system is that the current can be measured in situ, promoting the search for the optimized set of conditions for a successful electrosynthesis application. Herein, we review the latest trends in electrifying synthesis that exploit the concept of s-BPE for electrosynthesis of polymeric materials and electrochemical fluorination of small organic molecules.