2025 Organic 九州影院 Horizon Prize: awarded for the development of alternate electrode electrolysis and applications in organic synthesis.
The AEEon Collective has developed a groundbreaking new method called alternate electrode electrolysis (AEE). This is a smarter way of using electricity to build important chemical compounds, including medicines and materials. Traditional electrochemical techniques often suffer from energy loss and limited efficiency. In contrast, AEE uses a unique design with alternating electrodes that keeps the electrical current steady and strong, making chemical reactions faster, cleaner and more precise.
This method not only improves the way chemists make molecules but also reduces energy waste, avoids the need for heavy metals or harsh chemicals, and opens the door to greener and more sustainable manufacturing processes. AEE could one day help power the efficient production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and even carbon-capture and ammonia-making technologies, all with a lower environmental footprint.
The importance of collaboration in the chemical sciences lies in the seamless transfer of knowledge among researchers in the team. Not everyone in the team will know everything, so fluent interaction among team members is key to successful collaboration.
Professor Subhabrata Sen
Subhankar Bera, Co-Author, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University
Srimanta Guin, Co-Author, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay
Debabrata Maiti, Co-Author, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay
Debajit Maiti, Co-PI/ Postdoc, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University
Suchismita Rath, Co-Author, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University
Argha Saha, Co-Author, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay
Subhabrata Sen, PI/ Professor, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University
Shweta Singh, Co-Author, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University
Q&A with AEEon Collective
What were the biggest challenges in this project?
Professor Sen and Dr. Maiti: The biggest challenge was the setup for doing the AEE-reaction, including making the cell design with four electrodes with/without a reference electrode in a confined small cell for lab scale experiments. And of course, designing the microcontroller which could drive the four electrodes with AEE signal.
Where do you see the biggest impact of this technology/research being?
Professor Sen: The biggest impact of alternate electrode electrolysis (AEE) research is likely to be seen in scalable and energy-efficient organic electrosynthesis, especially for: 1. Late-stage functionalisation in drug discovery AEE enables precise, chemoselective functionalisation of complex drug molecules without metal catalysts or harsh reagents. This is critical for lead diversification, enabling rapid analogue generation in medicinal chemistry. 2. Activation of inert bonds AEE can selectively activate unreactive C(sp鲁)-H and C(sp虏)-H bonds, expanding synthetic options for natural products and heterocycles.
How do you see this work developing over the next few years, and what is next for this technology/research?
Dr. Maiti: The immediate next thing is to build a user-friendly electrosynthesis instrument and cell dedicated to performing AEE in both lab and industry scale. In electrosynthesis one of the most important things is to prepare the cell before every experiment by assembling the electrodes and other parts. For AEE, if there could be a dedicated setup, then the experiments could be expedited and AEE could adapted faster.
What is the importance of collaboration in the chemical sciences?
Professor Sen: The importance of collaboration in the chemical sciences lies in the seamless transfer of knowledge among researchers in the team. Not everyone in the team will know everything, so fluent interaction among team members is key to successful collaboration.
What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in the chemical sciences?
Professor Sen: Chemical science is omnipresent. Look around yourself, stay curious and ask questions.