On September 14-15, the international elite of electrosynthesis convened in Mainz. About 120 specialists from this emerging branch of chemical research from Japan, USA, Italy, Holland, Switzerland and Germany met for the symposium at the JGU Mainz. Prof. Siegfried R. Waldvogel from the Johannes Gutenberg University has organized this meeting again. The strong participation of representatives of the chemical industry was particularly remarkable. Prof. Waldvogel is pleased:"Until now, electrosynthesis has always been smiled at as a niche topic. Now the users are gradually jumping up to this seminal topic."
In many chemical syntheses, only electrons are added to or removed from molecules. In classical processes, this is done by means of chemicals and reagents, which must be produced for this purpose, but also first of all and often generate toxic waste. In electrosynthesis, this task is directly performed by the electrical current. This makes sustainable, forward-looking and more efficient production methods possible for many chemical products. Prof. Waldvogel notes:"One speaks of the 'electrification' of chemical synthesis and considers the progress to be a disruptive technology development".
