Driving Unusual “Out-of-Equilibrium” Chemical Processes by Mechanical Force

Prof. KaKing Yan 

The application of mechanical force in organic transformations is far from novel; indeed, this rudimentary experimental method is regarded as one of the oldest techniques in synthetic chemistry. In recent years, mechanochemistry has experienced a revival, fueled by growing interest in developing greener and more sustainable chemical practices. However, much of the literature in ball-milling chemistry emphasizes the rate-enhancing benefits of mechanochemical methods, while the uniquely force-specific dimension, that is reactions that proceed only under mechanical activation, remains underexplored.

In this talk, I will present our recent advances in coordination self-assembly and radical chemistry using mechanochemical strategies. These approaches enable “out-of-equilibrium” processes that are challenging or inaccessible within conventional solution-based reaction environments.

References:

Liu, Y.; Liu, F.-Z.; Chu, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Yan, K.* “Mechanochemical Guest Release from Coordination Assemblies in Solid-State.” Chem, 2024, 10, 1502-1515.

Liu, Y.; Liu, F.-Z.; Li, S.; Liu, H.; Yan, K.* “Biasing the Formation of Solution-Unstable Intermediates in Coordination Self-Assembly by Mechanochemistry.” Chem. Eur. J. 2023, e202302563.

Liu, Y.; Liu, F.-Z.; Yan, K.* “Mechanochemical Access to a Short-Lived Molecular Rectangle Pd2L2: An Elusive Kinetic Species to Molecular Triangle Pd3L3 and Molecular Square Pd4L4.” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, e202116980.