Further extending the concept, we explored liquid-solid-liquid interfacial PCET for general nonaqueous hydrogenation reactions. By engineering interfaces where hydrogen atoms generated in an aqueous medium are transferred to nonaqueous phases through a solid mediator, we introduced a sustainable route for traditional hydrogenations. We studied the kinetics and mechanistic details of hydrogen atom adsorption and transfer processes at these interfaces. This insight paves the way for optimized selectivity, enhanced mass transport, improved reaction safety, and broader applicability in nonaqueous electrochemical syntheses.
this work highlights the potential of integrating nonaqueous chemistry in organic phases with aqueous electrochemistry through interfacial chemical reactions. Unlike traditional phase-transfer catalysis, interfacial charge transfer selectively transports only hydrogen atoms, rather than amphiphilic molecules, between phases. The formation of interfaces across which highly selective facile mass and energy transport occur should significantly benefit chemical synthesis processes by eliminating the requirement for further purification or separation. With judicious selection of the chemical intermediates, the kinetics of the interfacial ion-coupled-electron-transfer reactions can be sufficiently rapid for scalable applications using phases that are selective to the mass transport of certain species and feature automatic phase separation.