The use of sacrificial anodes for the electrochemical synthesis of metallic complexes

•The applicability of the direct electrosynthesis of metallic complexes is provided.•The versatility of the method is shown with a wide variety of metals and ligands.•The technique is enormously simple, fast, very selective and involves a single step.•Collateral reactions and unexpected results are also reported.•The enormous synthetic potential of this procedure is widely described.