On the Physical Processes of Mechanochemically Induced Transformations in Molecular Solids

Initiating or sustaining physical and chemical transformations with mechanical force – mechanochemistry – provides an opportunity for more sustainable chemical processes, and access to new chemical reactivity. These transformations, however, do not always adhere to ‘conventional’ chemical wisdom, making them difficult to design and rationalise. This challenge is exacerbated by the fact that not all mechanochemical transformations are equal, with mechanical force playing a different role in different types of processes. In this Focus Article we discuss some of the different roles mechanical force can play in mechanochemical transformations, set primarily against the author’s own research. We classify mechanochemical reactions broadly as those (1) where mechanical energy is for mixing, (2) where mechanical energy changes the underlying potential energy surface, and (3) where mechanical energy directly excites the solid. Finally, we demonstrate how – while useful – these classifications have fuzzy boundaries and concepts from across them are needed to understand many mechanochemical reactions.