Enantioselective electrocatalytic oxidation of racemic alcohols on a TEMPO-modified graphite felt electrode by use of chiral base (TEMPO = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yloxyl)

The S-isomers of four racemic sec-alcohols, which possess a chiral centre at the α-position to the hydroxy group, were oxidized to the corresponding ketones whereas the R-isomers remained unreacted on a TEMPO-modified graphite felt electrode in the presence of (–)-sparteine, where the enantiopurity of the remaining R-isomers was > 99% and the current efficiency for the produced ketones was > 90%.