Mechanochemistry

Mechanochemistry (or mechanical chemistry) is the initiation of chemical reactions by mechanical phenomena. Mechanochemistry thus represents a fourth way to cause chemical reactions, complementing thermal reactions in fluids, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. Conventionally mechanochemistry focuses on the transformations of covalent bonds by mechanical force. Not covered by the topic are many phenomena: phase transitions, dynamics of biomolecules (docking, folding), and sonochemistry.^[1]

Mechanochemistry is not the same as mechanosynthesis, which refers specifically to the machine-controlled construction of complex molecular products.^[2]^[3]

In natural environments, mechanochemical reactions are frequently induced by physical processes such as earthquakes,^[4] glacier movement^[5] or hydraulic action of rivers or waves. In extreme environments such as subglacial lakes, hydrogen generated by mechnochemical reactions involving crushed silicate rocks and water can support methanogenic microbial communities. And mechanochemistry may have generated oxygen in the ancient Earth by water splitting on fractured mineral surfaces at high temperatures, potentially influencing life's origin or early evolution.^[6]

^ Beyer, Martin K.; Clausen-Schaumann, Hauke (2005). "Mechanochemistry: The Mechanical Activation of Covalent Bonds". Chemical Reviews. 105 (8): 2921–2948. doi:10.1021/cr030697h. PMID 16092823.
^ Drexler, K. Eric (1992). Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-57547-4.
^ Batelle Memorial Institute and Foresight Nanotech Institute. "Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems" (PDF). Retrieved 23 February 2013.
^ Kita, Itsuro; Matsuo, Sadao; Wakita, Hiroshi (1982-12-10). "H 2 generation by reaction between H 2 O and crushed rock: An experimental study on H 2 degassing from the active fault zone". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 87 (B13): 10789–10795. Bibcode:1982JGR....8710789K. doi:10.1029/JB087iB13p10789.
^ Telling, J.; Boyd, E. S.; Bone, N.; Jones, E. L.; Tranter, M.; MacFarlane, J. W.; Martin, P. G.; Wadham, J. L.; Lamarche-Gagnon, G.; Skidmore, M. L.; Hamilton, T. L.; Hill, E.; Jackson, M.; Hodgson, D. A. (November 2015). "Rock comminution as a source of hydrogen for subglacial ecosystems". Nature Geoscience. 8 (11): 851–855. Bibcode:2015NatGe...8..851T. doi:10.1038/ngeo2533. hdl:1983/826fdf87-589b-4a98-9325-54cc25bdb23d. ISSN 1752-0908.
^ Stone, Jordan; Edgar, John O.; Gould, Jamie A.; Telling, Jon (2022-08-08). "Tectonically-driven oxidant production in the hot biosphere". Nature Communications. 13 (1): 4529. Bibcode:2022NatCo..13.4529S. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32129-y. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 9360021. PMID 35941147.

[1] Beyer, Martin K.; Clausen-Schaumann, Hauke (2005). "Mechanochemistry: The Mechanical Activation of Covalent Bonds". Chemical Reviews. 105 (8): 2921–2948. doi:10.1021/cr030697h. PMID 16092823.

[Nanosystems-2] Drexler, K. Eric (1992). Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-57547-4.

[Roadmap-3] Batelle Memorial Institute and Foresight Nanotech Institute. "Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems" (PDF). Retrieved 23 February 2013.

[:0-4] Kita, Itsuro; Matsuo, Sadao; Wakita, Hiroshi (1982-12-10). "H 2 generation by reaction between H 2 O and crushed rock: An experimental study on H 2 degassing from the active fault zone". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 87 (B13): 10789–10795. Bibcode:1982JGR....8710789K. doi:10.1029/JB087iB13p10789.

[:1-5] Telling, J.; Boyd, E. S.; Bone, N.; Jones, E. L.; Tranter, M.; MacFarlane, J. W.; Martin, P. G.; Wadham, J. L.; Lamarche-Gagnon, G.; Skidmore, M. L.; Hamilton, T. L.; Hill, E.; Jackson, M.; Hodgson, D. A. (November 2015). "Rock comminution as a source of hydrogen for subglacial ecosystems". Nature Geoscience. 8 (11): 851–855. Bibcode:2015NatGe...8..851T. doi:10.1038/ngeo2533. hdl:1983/826fdf87-589b-4a98-9325-54cc25bdb23d. ISSN 1752-0908.

[:2-6] Stone, Jordan; Edgar, John O.; Gould, Jamie A.; Telling, Jon (2022-08-08). "Tectonically-driven oxidant production in the hot biosphere". Nature Communications. 13 (1): 4529. Bibcode:2022NatCo..13.4529S. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32129-y. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 9360021. PMID 35941147.

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