Reassessing mechanochemical processes in polyatomic systems for smart fabrication of nanocomposites

A brief review is given of the chemical response of polyatomic systems (PAS) to mechanical stress. The discussion starts from the relationship between deformation and electronic excitation, related to the Jahn-Teller effects. After discussing the consequences of deformation of PAS with increasing size, we try to generalise the related issues in terms of mechanochemical excitation. The discussion then turns to solid state processes. By taking the subsequent steps of relaxation in different time scales, the affordability of functional materials via a mechanochemical route has been demonstrated with selected case studies. A short summary at the end emphasises the importance of learning from exotic fields.