Chemistry 2.0: Developing a New, Solvent-Free System of Chemical Synthesis Based on Mechanochemistry

Mechanochemistry by grinding or milling has grown from a laboratory curiosity to a versatile approach for the synthesis and discovery of molecules, materials and reactivity. Focusing on organic synthesis and the chemistry of organic solids in general, we now provide a snapshot of this exciting, rapidly developing area, with the intention to illustrate its potential in establishing a more efficient and environmentally friendly system of chemical and materials synthesis, based on solid-state transformations rather than conventional, solution-dependent chemistry. 1 What is Chemistry 2.0? 2 Introduction 2.1 Why Mechanochemistry Now? 2.2 What’s in a Mechanochemistry Laboratory? 3 Liquid-Assisted Grinding (LAG): Controlling Mechanochemistry 4 The Solvent-Free Research Laboratory 5 Medicinal Mechanochemistry 6 Exploring Molecular Recognition 7 Some Myths to Dispel 8 Catalytic Reactions by Mechanochemistry 8.1 Catalysis and Reactivity Involving Bulk Metals 8.2 Enzyme Catalysis in Mechanochemistry 8.3 Coupling of Mechanochemistry, Photochemistry and Supramolecular Catalysis 9 Organometallic Mechanochemistry 10 New Opportunities 10.1 Stoichiometric Control 10.2 ‘Impossible’ Molecules 10.3 Reaction Discovery by Mechanochemistry 11 Energetics of Mechanochemistry 12 Mechanistic Understanding 13 Real-Time Reaction Monitoring 14 Conclusions