Organonitrogen compounds, like nitriles, amines, amides, imines and azo compounds are vital building blocks in medicines, fine chemicals, and agrochemicals. Traditional synthesis methods for these chemical substances mostly depend on aggressive reagents, energy-demanding processes, and elevated temperatures, and pose issues related to environmental impact and sustainability. Anodic electrocatalysis present a feasible option for the efficient and precise synthesis of organonitrogen compounds and hydrogen genertion. This review analyzes the fundamental attributes of anodic electrocatalysts that are made from precious metals, non-precious metals, and carbon-based materials. We discuss issues related to catalyst stability, selectivity and scalability. Potential future directions encompass energy-efficient electrolysis, anodic degradation and cross contamination, mass transfer in large-scale electrolyzers, renewable energy sources, and the incorporation of intricate waste nitrogen sources. The basic goal of this study is to promote a more sustainable chemical industry through the application of eco-friendly electrochemical technologies for the production of organonitrogen compounds and hydrogen. • Anodic electrocatalysis offers an efficient, sustainable, and scalable alternatives to traditional methods. • This study reviews critical parameters such as overpotential, faradaic efficiency, stability and selectivity of electrocatalysts. • Evaluation of different electrocatalyst materials (e.g., metals, metal oxides, carbon-based, and molecular catalysts) for efficient N-incorporation. • Detailed reaction mechanisms and pathways involved in the electrochemical oxidation of nitrogen-containing precursors.
Liaqat et al. (Thu,) studied this question.