Fig. 4: Technical targets that must be achieved for anodic hydrocarbon oxidations and reported strategies to overcome them.

A Funnelling selectivity towards the desired product (adapted from ref. 24, copyright 2019 Royal Society of Chemistry). B The interfacing of anodic partial hydrocarbon oxidation with cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction25. C Flexibility between anodic hydrocarbon-to-oxygenates conversion and oxygen evolution reaction (adapted from ref. 26, copyright 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science).