Sustainable Mechanosynthesis of Biologically Active Molecules

Abstract Synthetic mechanochemistry, the use of mechanical force produced by milling, grinding or extruding, as an activation technique, provides access to chemical entities of all kinds. This Review is focused on examples reported so far of known Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), and effectively evaluated bioactive molecules, all prepared by mechanosynthesis. Three families of molecules are discussed: heterocyclic compounds, metal complexes and peptides. Advantages of the mechanochemistry approach are highlighted especially from a green chemistry and efficacy point of view.