In recent years, the global shift toward a carbon-neutral society has intensified demand for the synthesis of chemicals from biomass resources and for the electrification of chemical manufacturing processes. Among these resources, plant-derived phenylpropanoids have attracted considerable attention as feedstocks for chemicals and polymeric materials because of their abundance and structural diversity. To date, molecular transformations of phenylpropanoids have been investigated primarily through thermal or chemical methods. In contrast, electrochemical reactions, where electrons serve as reagents, offer advantages such as precise reaction control under mild conditions and reduced consumption of chemical reagents. As a result, they have rapidly emerged as sustainable approaches to molecular transformation. This review highlights recent advances in the electrochemical molecular transformations of phenylpropanoids and provides an overview of representative examples of both anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction reported to date. Particular emphasis is placed on anodically triggered cycloaddition reactions and their application to polymer synthesis. In addition, the current status and remaining challenges associated with the electroreductive transformation of electron-deficient substrates are discussed. The development of electrochemical methodologies that exploit the unique structural features of phenylpropanoids is expected to contribute to not only the valorization of biomass resources but also to the creation of sustainable materials in the future. • Organic electrosynthesis has attracted significant attention as an efficient method for converting biomass resources, offering a promising alternative to conventional thermal and chemical processes. • Research on the organic electrosynthesis of phenylpropanoids has predominantly focused on transformations via electrooxidation. • To further advance the electrification of biomass conversion, the development of electroreduction methodologies and electrochemical technologies applicable to polymeric substrates is essential.
Nagaya et al. (Wed,) studied this question.