CHAPTER 7: Activation of Chemical Substrates Under Sustainable Conditions: Mechanochemistry

Traditional modes of activation of chemical substrates in organic solvents have recently been challenged by implementation of synthetic methodologies relying on the use of mechanical force to initiate and promote chemical reactions in the solid state. These methods, assembled under the name of mechanochemistry, represent a different way to consider chemical reactivity, yet offer exciting opportunities for sustainable syntheses of small organic molecules, drugs, complex supramolecular entities and functional materials. In the first part of this chapter, a brief overview of mechanochemical methodology, focusing on some practical aspects and analytical techniques, is presented. In the second part, the state-of-the-art in mechanochemical organic synthesis, with emphasis on developments in metal-, organo-, enzyme- and photocatalysis in the solid state, including representative examples, is discussed.