Themed collection Mechanochemistry: fundamentals and applications in synthesis

Showcasing a collection of cutting edge contributions by international leaders in the field of mechanochemistry.

A review of solvent-assisted mechanochemistry covering its range of applicability, theories of mechanism, and summarizing its advantages and limitations.

This article presents microfluidics technology and sonochemistry as evolving areas in tandem showing synergistic and a green future.

Mechanochemical dry conversion that releases water as a sole byproduct was demonstrated to provide access to morphologically-novel ZIF with a polycrystalline grain boundary and a core–shell structure.

2D and 3D MOFs of trans,trans-muconic acid with Er³⁺ and Y³⁺ were synthesized and their photoreactivity was studied as a function of the crystal environment.

A metal–organic framework, MIL-78, was prepared by ball-milling YH₃ with trimesic acid in the absence of solvent. The process does not generate any liquid by-products, thus validating a solid-state approach to MOF synthesis.

We have demonstrated purely mechanochemical hydrogenation of MgB₂ to Mg(BH₄)₂ by high energy reactive ball milling.

Mechanochemical metathesis reactions were utilized to synthesize nanocrystalline ZrSi₂ ranging from 9–30 nm in size.

A general version of the classical Hantzsch pyrrole synthesis under high-speed vibration milling conditions was developed.

Large macrocycles containing imine and borasiloxane links are obtained by polycondensation reactions in solution or – advantageously – by mechanochemical syntheses in a ball mill.

Mechanochemical synthesis has been used to prepare two Werner complexes and their corresponding solid solution. The solid solution exhibits sorption properties that differ from those of the pure compounds.

Mechanochemical carbodiimide-mediated coupling reaction between commercially available carboxylic acids and amines has been employed for the environmentally friendly one-pot synthesis of amides, bis-amides and dipeptides.

A range of nucleoside phosphoramidites incorporating small amino substituents have been readily synthesised using ionic liquid stabilised phosphorodiamidites coupled with mechanochemistry.

The synthesis of various amides has been realised avoiding the use of any organic solvent from activation of carboxylic acids with CDI to isolation of the amides.

Phosphine-free palladium-catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck reaction was performed using ball-milling in polyethylene glycol under mild conditions.

The solvent-free reactions of β-enamino carbonyl compounds with 1-(pyridin-2-yl)-enones in the presence of manganese(III) acetate unexpectedly afforded dihydrobenzofuran derivatives under mechanical milling conditions.

The presence of water or organic solvent vapour accelerates the solid-state condensation of solid aromatic amines and aromatic aldehydes into Schiff bases.

Chemoselective solvent-free oxidation of organosulphur compounds to sulfones with Oxone® under mechanical milling conditions.

Reversible conversion between two pamoate : DABCO : water salts with different stoichiometries is facile via liquid-assisted grinding with additional amounts of the relevant component.

Racemic malic acid is converted into two distinct diastereomeric cocrystal phases on milling with a single enantiomer of tartaric acid.

A robust, facile and solvent-free mechanochemical path for aldehyde–oxime transformations using hydroxylamine and NaOH is explored; the method is suitable for aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes decorated with a range of substituents.

Nonequilibrium and nanostructured fayalite (α-Fe₂SiO₄) with a large volume fraction of surfaces/interfaces is synthesized via single-step mechanosynthesis.

Symmetrical ortho- and para-phenylenediamines were cleanly desymmetrized and transformed into mono- and bis-(thio)ureas or mixed thiourea–ureas in a click-mechanochemical reaction.

Mechanochemical reaction of solid piracetam with the inorganic salts LiCl and LiBr yields ionic co-crystals which are also co-drugs.

An automated grinding method based on a vortex mixer enables simultaneous grinding and UV-irradiation and it is applied to solid-state cocrystallisation, photocatalysis and synthesis of MOF.