The production of chemicals accounts for 40% of all energy currently used in manufacturing, and the process also results in toxic solvent waste that pollutes the environment and poses health risks to humans and animals. A study published in the journal Science details a novel mechanochemistry method that has the ability to manufacture chemicals without those deleterious effects.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Tip arrays transfer a dienophile molecules (red) onto an anthracene-modified (green) surface. Upon contact, the tips form nanoreactors, where pressure is applied that accelerates the Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions. For their study, the authors took monolayers of molecules placed on silicon wafers and pushed reactive molecules into them using tip arrays, which created new chemicals. The experimental setup allowed the researchers to precisely control the pressure between the molecules, which led to a new understanding of what occurs in these reactions. Credit: Yerzhan Zholdassov Researchers with the Nanoscience Initiative at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC), the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California-Merced took a unique approach that advances the opportunity to use…