Electric-Field-Induced Organic Transformations

Experiments showed that the existence of electric fields in non-redox processes may alter the catalytic activity, rate enhancement, and selection of organic reactions. It is expected that the interaction between electric fields and chemical reactions will create new avenues for producing materials with desired properties in several chemical disciplines, including synthetic organic chemistry, catalysis, nanotechnology, membrane technology, and enzyme catalysis. Specifically, in this review, we discuss the elegant experimental investigations carried out using the scanning tunneling microscope, the interfacial electric field, and designed local electric fields. The results of these studies are remarkable, leading to new information on the function of electric fields in controlling chemical reactivity and selectivity in different reactions and offering a glimpse of the great potential of electrostatic fields. This article not only presents the core concepts of field-induced chemical transformations but also illustrates the potential use of electric field catalysis in chemistry and other fields.