@article{Li2025, 
author = {Min Li and Longzhou Zhang and Jingmin Ge and Kaihang Sun and Young Dok Kim and Baojun Li and Zhongyi Liu and Zhikun Peng},
title = {Superior high 2-cyclohexen-1-ol selectivity in electrocatalytic cyclohexene oxidation through tailored oil–water interface},
year = {2025},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {18},
number = {8},
pages = {94907787},
keywords = {electrocatalytic cyclohexene oxidation, polyaniline (PANI)/Co3O4, 2-cyclohexen-1-ol, high selectivity, oil–water interface},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2025.94907787},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2025.94907787},
abstract = {Electrocatalytic conversion presents a promising alternative to conventional industrial catalysis. While aqueous-phase electrocatalysis has achieved notable advancements, oil–water immiscible systems remain challenging due to restricted reaction flux at multiphase interfaces. To address the limitation, we engineered a biphasic reaction system featuring a tailored oil–water catalytic interface in cyclohexene oxidation reaction (COR). The system employed a catalyst-loaded porous electrode as an active phase domain, enabling spatial separation of cyclohexene (organic phase) and electrolyte (aqueous phase). The tailored oil–water interface enhanced the interfacial mass transfer of substrate-catalysts and facilitated the spontaneous migration of 2-cyclohexen-1-ol into the aqueous phase, thereby streamlining product separation. Notably, polyaniline (PANI) modification on Co3O4 enhanced surface lipophilicity, promoting cyclohexene adsorption and accelerating the COR catalytic kinetics (Co3+–O + cyclohexene–H + e− → Co2+–OH + 2-cyclohexen-1-ol). The synergistic effects of optimized interfacial engineering and catalyst functionalization achieved exceptional performance: a current density of 45 mA·cm−2 at 1.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (VRHE), coupled with 96.2% selectivity and 82.9% Faradaic efficiency. This work establishes an innovative paradigm for electrocatalytic conversions in oil–water immiscible systems through rational interface design and catalyst surface modulation.}
}