TY - JOUR A1 - Hemingway, Jack M. A1 - Quayle, Heather M. A1 - Byrne, Cian A1 - Pulham, Colin R. A1 - Mondal, Subrata A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Morrison, Carole A. T1 - Predicting impact sensitivities for an extended set of energetic materials via the vibrational up-pumping model: Molecular-based structure–property relationships identified N2 - We have applied the vibrational up-pumping model to predict the mechanically-induced impact sensitivities of 33 molecular energetic crystals. Overall, the current model successfully identifies and ranks the compounds that are most sensitive to mechanical initiation, but offers poorer differentiation between compounds with lower sensitivity. Further developments to include the effects of trigger bond activation led to significant improvements in predictive capability. We show that this structure–property model highlights the importance of molecular flexibility in predicting impact sensitivity, and furthermore, we show that the Kier molecular flexibility index, which can be obtained from a SMILES string, offers a simple molecular-based descriptor that goes some way towards predicting the sensitivity of energetic materials. KW - Vibrational KW - Pyrazoles KW - Comprising KW - Electronic PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-632651 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cp00852b SN - 1463-9076 VL - 27 IS - 22 SP - 11640 EP - 11648 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-63265 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Speight, Isaiah R. A1 - Ardila-Fierro, Karen J. A1 - Hernández, José G. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - García, Felipe A1 - Colacino, Evelina A1 - Mack, James T1 - Ball milling for mechanochemical reactions N2 - Mechanochemistry is an emerging field with the potential to pave the way for sustainable chemistry. Although the use of mechanical force to initiate chemical reactions has been recognized for millennia, it has often taken a backseat to thermal and photonic methods. Over the past 30 years, mechanochemistry has seen a resurgence of interest, attracting researchers across the globe. Despite its proven ability to address numerous challenges within the chemical community, mechanochemistry remains on the periphery. This Primer serves as a valuable guide for conducting mechanochemical reactions by ball milling, offering an overview of the processes, methods, tools and terminology necessary to embark on research in this field. It also highlights persistent hurdles such as equipment standardization, understanding the impact of new discoveries and the lack of predictability of reaction outcomes. The Primer’s focus is on how mechanochemical ball milling is used in various chemical transformations, distinguishing it from other forms of mechanochemistry discussed in the literature. With a promising future, this Primer serves as a gateway for those aspiring to contribute to the field’s advancement. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Ball milling KW - Upscaling PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-025-00401-2 SN - 2662-8449 VL - 5 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-63447 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - On the physical processes of mechanochemically induced transformations in molecular solids N2 - Initiating or sustaining physical and chemical transformations with mechanical force – mechanochemistry – provides an opportunity for more sustainable chemical processes, and access to new chemical reactivity. KW - Molecular solids KW - Transformation KW - Destabilisation KW - Instabilities KW - Common phenomenon PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-621755 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d4cc04062g IS - 99 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-62175 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Driscoll, Laura L. A1 - Driscoll, Elizabeth H. A1 - Dong, Bo A1 - Sayed, Farheen N. A1 - Wilson, Jacob N. A1 - O’Keefe, Christopher A. A1 - Gardner, Dominic J. A1 - Grey, Clare P. A1 - Allan, Phoebe K. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Slater, Peter R. T1 - Under pressure: offering fundamental insight into structural changes on ball milling battery materials N2 - Synthesis of Li ion battery materials via ball milling has been a huge area of growth, leading to new high-capacity electrode materials, such as a number of promising disordered rocksalt (DRS) phases. In prior work, it was generally assumed that the synthesis was facilitated simply by local heating effects during the milling process. In this work, we show that ball milling Li2MoO4 leads to a phase transformation to the high pressure spinel polymorph and we report electrochemical data for this phase. This observation of the formation of a high pressure polymorph shows that local heating effects alone cannot explain the phase transformation observed (phenakite to spinel) and so indicates the importance of other effects. In particular, we propose that when the milling balls collide with the material, the resulting shockwaves exert a localised pressure effect, in addition to local heating. To provide further support for this, we additionally report ball milling results for a number of case studies (Li2MnO3, Li2SnO3, Nb2O5) which reinforces the conclusion that local heating alone cannot explain the phase transformations observed. The work presented thus provides greater fundamental understanding of milling as a synthetic pathway and suggests potential strategies to prepare such samples without milling (e.g., doping to create internal chemical pressure). In addition, we suggest that further research is needed into the effect of the use of milling as a route to smaller particles, since we believe that such milling may also be affecting the surface structure of the particles through the influence of the shockwaves generated. KW - Pollution KW - Nuclear Energy and Engineering KW - Sustainability and the Environment KW - Environmental Chemistry KW - Renewable Energy PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-590086 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ee00249g VL - 16 IS - 11 SP - 5196 EP - 5209 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-59008 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Riechers, Birte A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Beyond conventional calorimetry: Unlocking thermal characterization with fast scanning techniques N2 - Fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) has emerged as a transformative technique in thermal analysis, enabling the investigation of rapid and kinetically driven thermal transitions that are inaccessible to conventional differential scanning calorimetry. This review highlights the capabilities enabled by FSC for studying a wide range of materials under extreme thermal conditions, including polymers, pharmaceuticals, metallic glasses, nanocomposites, and hydrogels. By employing ultrafast heating and cooling rates, FSC allows for the suppression of crystallization, resolution of weak transitions, and analysis of thermally labile or size-limited samples. The technique is particularly valuable for probing glass transitions, relaxation phenomena, and phase behavior in systems with complex morphologies or confined geometries. Case studies demonstrate the use of FSC in characterizing vitrification, physical aging, and interfacial dynamics, as well as its application in emerging fields such as additive manufacturing, supramolecular systems, and neuromorphic materials. Together, these examples underscore the role that FSC plays in advancing the understanding of structure-property relationships across diverse material classes. KW - Flash DSC KW - Calorimetry KW - Glass transition PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-647405 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2025.180177 VL - 754 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-64740 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Linberg, Kevin A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - The Origin of Delayed Polymorphism in Molecular Crystals Under Mechanochemical Conditions N2 - We show that mechanochemically driven polymorphic transformations can require extremely long induction periods, which can be tuned from hours to days by changing ball milling energy. The robust design and interpretation of ball milling experiments must account for this unexpected kinetics that arises from energetic phenomena unique to the solid state. Detailed thermal analysis, combined with DFT simulations, indicates that these marked induction periods are associated with processes of mechanical activation. Correspondingly, we show that the pre‐activation of reagents can also lead to marked changes in the length of induction periods. Our findings demonstrate a new dimension for exerting control over polymorphic transformations in organic crystals. We expect mechanical activation to have a much broader implication across organic solid‐state mechanochemistry. KW - General Chemistry KW - Catalysis KW - Organic Chemistry PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-589219 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202302150 SN - 0947-6539 SP - e202302150 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-58921 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Delogu, Francesco T1 - Fundamental basis of mechanochemical reactivity N2 - This themed collection includes a collection of articles on the fundamental basis of mechanochemical reactivity. KW - Mechanochemical KW - Metal-organic KW - Transformation KW - Dimerization PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d4cp90153c SP - 1 EP - 3 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-61500 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Casali, Lucia A1 - May, Anastasia T1 - Real-Time Monitoring and Temperature Control for Optimized Polymorph Engineering N2 - Integrating real-time monitoring with precise temperature control and mechanochemical processing represents a transformative approach to the controlled engineering of polymorphic forms in molecu-lar solids. Combining these methodologies overcomes the limitations of traditional solution-based or purely thermal approaches, enabling access to metastable or otherwise elusive polymorphs under milder and more sustainable conditions. Recent studies have shown that mechanochemical trans-formations proceed through distinct kinetic stages, including prolonged induction periods that can be tuned by adjusting the mechanical energy input[1]. These induction periods are associated with pro-cesses of mechanical activation, such as the accumulation of defects and increased surface energy, which lower the effective energy barriers for polymorphic transitions. Crucially, it is the total accumu-lated mechanical energy, rather than the duration or intensity of milling alone, that dictates the onset of polymorphic conversion, offering a new dimension of kinetic control[2-5]. Variable temperature ball milling reveals that the temperature required to induce polymorphic trans-formations can be significantly lower than under conventional thermal methods. For instance, tran-sitions that typically require high temperatures under equilibrium conditions can be achieved at sub-stantially lower temperatures in the presence of mechanical activation. This has been demonstrated in cocrystal systems such as nicotinamide-pimelic acid and isonicotinamide-glutaric acid, where the transition temperature was lowered by up to 25°C[2,3]. Real-time, in situ powder X-ray diffraction and temperature monitoring are essential for capturing transient phases and elucidating the interplay between thermal and mechanical effects. This confirms that combining mechanical energy with con-trolled temperature not only accelerates transformation kinetics, but also expands the accessible polymorphic landscape [2,3]. Collectively, these advances underscore the potential of real-time monitored, temperature-controlled mechanochemistry as a robust platform for the selective design and manufacturing of polymorphs. This approach provides unprecedented control over solid-state reactivity and opens new avenues for the sustainable and targeted engineering of functional materials and pharmaceuticals. T2 - 13th Bologna´s convention on Crystal Forms - CF@Bo n.13 University of Bologna CY - Bologna, Italy DA - 07.09.2025 KW - Plymorhism KW - Pre-activation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64839 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lampronti, G. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Mazzeo, P. A1 - Belenguer, Ana A1 - Sanders, J. K. M. A1 - Bacchi, A. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Changing the game of time resolved X-ray diffraction on the mechanochemistry playground by downsizing N2 - Time resolved in situ (TRIS) monitoring has revolutionised the study of mechanochemical transformations but has been limited by available data quality. Here we report how a combination of miniaturised grinding jars together with innovations in X-ray powder diffraction data collection and state-of-the-art analysis strategies transform the power of TRIS synchrotron mechanochemical experiments. Accurate phase compositions, comparable to those obtained by ex situ measurements, can be obtained with small sample loadings. Moreover, microstructural parameters (crystal size and microstrain) can be also determined with high confidence. This strategy applies to all chemistries, is readily implemented, and yields high-quality diffraction data even using a low energy synchrotron source. This offers a direct avenue towards the mechanochemical investigation of reactions comprising scarce, expensive, or toxic compounds. Our strategy is applied to model systems, including inorganic, metal-organic, and organic mechanosyntheses, resolves previously misinterpreted mechanisms in mechanochemical syntheses, and promises broad, new directions for mechanochemical research. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Synchrotron radiation KW - Material synthesis PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-535932 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26264-1 SN - 2041-1723 VL - 12 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Nature Publishing Group CY - London AN - OPUS4-53593 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Feiler, Torvid A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Schröder, V. A1 - List-Kratochvil, E. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit T1 - Elastic Flexibility in an Optically Active Naphthalidenimine-Based Single Crystal N2 - Organic single crystals that combine mechanical flexibility and optical properties are important for developing flexible optical devices, but examples of such crystals remain scarce. Both mechanical flexibility and optical activity depend on the underlying crystal packing and the nature of the intermolecular interactions present in the solid state. Hence, both properties can be expected to be tunable by small chemical modifications to the organic molecule. By incorporating a chlorine atom, a reportedly mechanically flexible crystal of (E)-1-(4-bromo-phenyl)iminomethyl-2-hydroxylnaphthalene (BPIN) produces (E)-1-(4-bromo-2-chloro-phenyl)iminomethyl-2-hydroxyl-naphthalene (BCPIN). BCPIN crystals show elastic bending similar to BPIN upon mechanical stress, but exhibit a remarkable difference in their optical properties as a result of the chemical modification to the backbone of the organic molecule. This work thus demonstrates that the optical properties and mechanical flexibility of molecular materials can, in principle, be tuned independently. KW - Elastic Crystal PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-539040 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11111397 VL - 11 IS - 11 SP - 1397 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-53904 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Rudic, S. A1 - Pulham, C. A1 - Morrison, C. T1 - Predicting the impact sensitivity of a polymorphic high explosive: the curious case of FOX-7 N2 - The impact sensitivity (IS) of FOX-7 polymorphs is predicted by phonon up-pumping to decrease as layers of FOX-7 molecules flatten. Experimental validation proved anomalous owing to a phase transition during testing, raising questions regarding Impact sensitivity measurement and highlighting the need for models to predict IS of polymorphic energetic materials. KW - Energetic materials KW - Density functional theory KW - Inelastic Neutron Scattering Spectroscopy KW - Impact Sensitivity PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-535558 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d1cc03906g SN - 1364-548X VL - 57 IS - 85 SP - 11213 EP - 11216 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-53555 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Time-Resolved InSitu Monitoring of Mechanochemical Reactions N2 - Mechanochemical transformations offer environmentally benign synthesis routes, whilst enhancing both the speed and selec-tivity of reactions. In this light, mechanochemistry promises to trans-form the way in which chemistry is done in both academia and indus-try but is greatly hindered by a current lack in mechanistic understand-ing. The continued development and use of time-resolved in situ(TRIS) approaches to monitor mechanochemical reactions provides a new dimension to elucidatethese fascinating transformations. We here discuss recent trends in method development that have pushed the boundaries of mechanochemical research. New features of mech-anochemical reactions obtained by TRIS techniques are subse-quently discussed, shedding light on how different TRISapproaches have beenused. Emphasis is placed on the strength of combining complementary techniques. Finally, we outline our views for the po-tential of TRIS methods in mechanochemical research, towards es-tablishing a new, environmentally benign paradigm in the chemical sciences KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Material synthesis KW - Green chemistry PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202117270 SN - 1433-7851 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-54321 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tumanov, I. A1 - Tumanov, E. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - Ball size or ball mass – what matters in organic mechanochemical synthesis? N2 - Ball mass is an important parameter that is known to have an influence on the outcome of a mechanochemical reaction induced by ball-milling. A standard way of modifying the ball mass is to change the size of the ball made of the same material. In this case, however, a change in mass is accompanied by a simulatneous change in the ball size. It is therefore not possible to disentangle the effects of mass and Surface area in these cases. In the present work we report the results of experiments with specially designed and manufactured balls in which (1) milling ball mass is held constant, but their size differs, and (2) the ball mass is altered, with the diameter of the milling ball being held constant. Using the cocrystallisation of theophylline + nicotinamide as a case study it was found that both diameter and ball mass play crucial roles in determining the rate of a mechanochemical reaction. For comparison, we have also used milling balls with the same size (different mass), and others with the same mass (different size) made of different materials, as would be “traditional”. It was found that, despite having the same size, the lightest milling ball (nylon) was the most efficient in initiating the co-crystallisation, presumably due to the sorption of EtOH. Hence, the results of this manuscript also demonstrate how milling ball material can in fact be the most influential parameter, and potentially counterintuitive to classical mechanics. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - XRD PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/0.1039/c8ce02109k VL - 21 SP - 2174 EP - 2179 PB - RSC Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-47851 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kulla, Hannes A1 - Becker, C. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Linberg, Kevin A1 - Paulus, B. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Tuning the Apparent Stability of Polymorphic Cocrystals through Mechanochemistry N2 - Mechanochemistry has become a valuable method for the synthesis of new materials and molecules, with a particular strength for screening and preparing multicomponent crystals. In this work, two novel cocrystals of pyrazinamide (PZA) with pimelic acid (PA) were prepared mechanochemically. Their formation was monitored in real time by in situ synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. Control over the polymorphic form was obtained through the selective choice of liquid additive via liquid assisted grinding. Slurry experiments and dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations suggest that Form I is the thermodynamically stable form under ambient conditions. Upon aging, Form II converts to Form I. The stability of Form II upon aging was found to depend strongly on the milling duration, intensity, and material of the milling vessels. Longer or higher energy milling drastically increased the lifetime of the Form II product. For the first time, this work also demonstrates that the choice of milling jar can have a decisive effect on the aging stability of a bulk polymorphic powder. In contrast to material prepared in steel milling vessels, the preparation of Form II in Perspex (PMMA) vessels increased its lifetime 3-fold. These findings offer a new dimension to garnering control over mechanochemical cocrystallization and demonstrate the critical importance of the careful and timely ex situ screening of ball mill grinding reactions. This will be of importance for potential industrial applications of mechanochemical cocrystallization where understanding polymorph longevity is crucial for the development of a robust preparative protocol. KW - Physical and chemical processes KW - Organic compounds KW - Liquids KW - Materials KW - Stability PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.9b01158 VL - 19 IS - 12 SP - 7271 EP - 7279 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-50281 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Olivera, Paulo A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Marquardt, Julien A1 - Feiler, Torvid A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Torresi, R. A1 - Camargo, P. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Investigating the role of reducing agents on mechanosynthesis of Au nanoparticles N2 - Control over the bottom up synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NP) depends on many experimental factors, including the choice of stabilising and reducing agents. By selectively manipulating these species, it is possible to control NP characteristics through solution-phase synthesis strategies. It is not known, however, whether NPs produced from mechanochemical syntheses are governed by the same rules. Using the Au NPs mechanosynthesis as a model system, we investigate how a series of common reducing agents affect both the reduction kinetics and size of Au NPs. It is shown that the relative effects of reducing agents on mechanochemical NP synthesis differ significantly from their role in analogous solution-phase reactions. Hence, strategies developed for control over NP growth in solution are not directly transferrable to environmentally benign mechanochemical approaches. This work demonstrates a clear need for dedicated, systematic studies on NP mechanosynthesis. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Metal nanoparicels PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ce00826e VL - 22 IS - 38 SP - 6261 EP - 6267 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-51757 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mojsak, Mateusz A1 - Bodo, Filippo A1 - Erba, Alessandro A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A. L. A1 - Kraka, Elfi T1 - Local Vibrational Mode Analysis of Phonon Dispersion Relations in Crystals N2 - We present a general framework for performing local vibrational mode analysis of vibrations in crystalline materials at arbitrary wavevectors throughout the Brillouin zone. The approach enables phonon dispersion relations to be interpreted in terms of chemically meaningful interatomic interactions and structural motifs, providing direct insight into the microscopic origins of the phonon behavior in periodic systems. We demonstrate the methodology for representative one-, two-, and three-dimensional materials including polymeric chains, graphene, and prototypical rock-salt and perovskite crystals. Across these systems, the analysis reveals how specific bonding patterns and structural features govern phonon dispersion relations. This framework provides a quantitative tool for the chemically intuitive analysis of phonon spectra and offers a pathway toward the rational design of phonon-dependent properties in crystalline materials. KW - Phonons KW - Molecular Crystals PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656430 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00097 SN - 1549-9618 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-65643 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN A1 - Casali, Lucia A1 - Carta, Maria A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Delogu, Francesco A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Correction: Kinetics of the mechanically induced ibuprofen–nicotinamide co-crystal formation by in situ X-ray diffraction N2 - Correction for ‘Kinetics of the mechanically induced ibuprofen–nicotinamide co-crystal formation by in situ X-ray diffraction’ by Lucia Casali et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2024, 26, 22041–22048, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CP01457J. PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656362 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d6cp90028c SN - 1463-9076 VL - 28 IS - 8 SP - 5587 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-65636 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Belenguer, A A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Lampronti, G A1 - Sanders, J T1 - Using solid catalysts in disulfide-based dynamic combinatorial solution- and mechano-chemistry N2 - We here show for the first time that solid amines can act as catalysts for disulfide-based dynamic combinatorial chemistry by ball mill grinding. The mechanochemical Equilibrium for the two disulfide reactions studied is reached within one to three hours using ten different amine catalysts. This contrasts with the weeks to months to achieve solution equilibrium for most solid amine catalysts at 2%M at 2mM concentration in a suitable solvent. The final mechanochemical equilibrium is independent of the catalyst used, but varies with other ball mill grinding factors such as the presence of traces of solvent. The different efficiencies of the amines tested are discussed. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Green chemistry KW - Catalysis PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202102416 SN - 1864-5631 VL - 15 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-53930 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - McMonagle, C. J. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Chernyshov, D. T1 - FOX-7 high-energy-density material: Thermal expansion and phase transitions revisited N2 - Variable-temperature single-crystal diffraction experiments treated with the Gandolfi method reveal the detailed temperature evolution of the unit-cell dimensions, structural transformations and the phase co-existence of the energetic material FOX-7. Two first-order phase transitions are observed accompanied by abrupt changes in volume and unit-cell dimensions. The thermal expansion is found to be linear for all three phases, albeit highly anisotropic. Moreover, the experimental thermal expansion coefficients differ from those predicted from literature atomistic simulations. KW - Energetic materials KW - Thermal expansion KW - Gandolfi method KW - Phase transition KW - Variable temperature PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1107/S2052520621013299 SN - 2052-5206 VL - 78 IS - 1 SP - 91 EP - 95 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-54286 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kosareva, E. A1 - Gainutdinov, R. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Ananyev, I. A1 - Muravyev, N. T1 - Mechanical Stimulation of Energetic Materials at the Nanoscale N2 - The initiation of energetic materials by mechanical stimuli is a critical stage of their functioning, but remains poorly understood. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM) we explore the microscopic initiation behavior of four prototypical energetic materials: 3,4-dinitropyrazole, 𝜖-CL-20, 𝛼-PETN and picric acid. Along with the various chemical structures, these energetic compounds cover a range of application types: a promising melt-cast explosive, the most powerful energetic compound in use, a widespread primary explosive, and a well-established nitroaromatic explosive from the early development of energetics. For the softest materials (picric acid and 3,4-dinitropyrazole), the surfaces were found to behave dynamically, quickly rearranging in response to mechanical deformation. The pit created by nanoscale friction stimulation on the surface of 3,4-dinitropyrazole doubled in volume upon aging for half an hour. Over the same time frame, a similar pit on picric acid surface increased in volume by more than seven-fold. Remarkably, increased humidity was found to reduce the rate of surface rearrangement, potentially offering an origin for the desensitization of energetic materials when wetted. Finally, we identify an inverse correlation between the surface dynamics and mechanical sensitivity of our test energetic compounds. This strongly suggests that surface dynamics influence a material’s ability to dissipate excess energy, acting as a buffer towards mechanical initiation. KW - Energetic materials KW - Mechanical Properties KW - Mechanical Sensitivity PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CP00832G VL - 24 IS - 15 SP - 8890 EP - 8900 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-54562 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Aree, T. A1 - McMonagle, C. J. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Chernyshov, D. T1 - Low-frequency lattice vibrations from atomic displacement parameters of a-FOX-7, a high energy density material N2 - Highly anharmonic thermal vibrations may serve as a source of structural instabilities resulting in phase transitions, chemical reactions and even the mechanical disintegration of a material. Ab initio calculations model thermal motion within a harmonic or sometimes quasi-harmonic approximation and must be complimented by experimental data on temperature-dependent vibrational frequencies. Here multi-temperature atomic displacement parameters (ADPs), derived from a single-crystal synchrotron diffraction experiment, are used to characterize low-frequency lattice vibrations in the alpha-FOX-7 layered structure. It is shown that despite the limited quality of the data, the extracted frequencies are reasonably close to those derived from inelastic scattering, Raman measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Vibrational anharmonicity is parameterized by the Grüneisen parameters, which are found to be very different for in-layer and out-of-layer vibrations. KW - Energetic Materials KW - DFT KW - Structural dynamics KW - X-ray diffraction PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1107/S2052520622002700 SN - 2052-5206 VL - 78 SP - 376 EP - 384 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-54832 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Morrison, C. T1 - From lattice vibrations to molecular dissociation N2 - The ease with which an energetic material can be initiated by mechanical impact is a critical parameter directing material safety and application. While impact sensitivity metrics are traditionally derived experimentally, recent developments have highlighted that the phenomenon is amenable to first principles simulation. In this chapter, we will outline a fully ab initio approach to predict the relative impact sensitivities of energetic materials based on the mechanochemical principles that link the impact event to vibrational energy transfer. This mechanism is key to rationalizing how a mechanical impact—which deposits energy into the low-frequency lattice vibrations—results in a molecular response. By simulating the vibrational energy levels (the so-called phonon density of states, PDOS) using first-principles computational methods (typically dispersion-corrected plane-wave density functional theory, PW-DFT) we can calculate the relative rate of energy propagation from the delocalized low-energy lattice vibrations through to the localized molecular modes. The latter traps the energy, which eventually results in bond rupture through heightened vibrational excitation. This method, based on vibrational up-pumping, offers a route toward predicting the impact sensitivities of a broad range of energetic materials, provided the crystal structure of the compound (or salt or co-crystal) is known. While it does not offer insight into the sensitizing roles undoubtedly played by crystal defects or grain boundaries, it does provide a level of understanding at the molecular and crystal packing levels. Correspondingly, this approach offers a feedback mechanism to chemists and materials scientists to guide the design of new materials with desired impact sensitivity behavior. KW - Energetic materials KW - Density functional theory KW - Material design PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822971-2.00010-3 VL - 22 SP - 215 EP - 232 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-54717 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Charlesworth, M. A1 - Lampronti, G. A1 - Belenguer, Ana M. A1 - Day, S. A1 - Saunders, L. A1 - Connolly, E. A1 - Midgley, P. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A. L. T1 - Influence of Liquid on Crystallite Size Evolution During Ball Milling N2 - Liquid assisted grinding (LAG) is a commonly used mechanochemical procedure, especially for polymorphic conversions. However, it is not understood what effect liquid additives actually play in driving mechanochemical polymorphic conversions, precluding our ability to control solid form transformations under mechanochemical conditions. We here present a time-resolved in situ (TRIS) synchrotron powder Xray diffraction (PXRD) monitoring strategy that can track, with few nm resolution, the evolution of crystalline size under liquid assisted ball milling conditions. We apply this method to investigate the influence of liquid additives on the polymorphic conversion of the 1:1 co-crystal of theophylline and benzamide, with particular focus on the role that crystallite size plays in driving ball milling induced polymorphic transformations. We find that the crystallite sizes achieved by ball milling are highly sensitive to the amount of liquid added to the reaction mixture. Liquid additives generally lead to larger crystallite sizes as compared with neat grinding protocol, with our findings indicating that crystallite size reduction is not the main factor that causes polymorph conversion under liquid assisted grinding conditions. The data presented clearly indicates the presence of an induction period before phase transformation begins with a minimum value in the crystallite size of the starting polymorph indicating the end of that induction period. KW - Ball milling KW - In situ diffraction KW - Phase transformation KW - Liquid assisted grinding KW - Crystallite size PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656783 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.5c01662 SN - 1528-7483 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-65678 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Revealing Mechanical Plastic Bending in Coordination Polymer Crystals N2 - Crystalline molecular materials with mechanical flexibility are promising for technological development. This is particularly true for the development of advanced materials with optoelectronic and biomedical applications. While a growing number of mechanically flexible crystalline molecular materials are being reported,1 they remain scarce. At present, most discoveries are serendipitous, as limited design strategies are currently known. Amongst these strategies Desiraju et. al. suggested that elastic materials must contain herringbone structures.2 For plastic crystals, the so-called ‘shape-synthon’ strategy has been developed, in which weak non-covalent interactions are introduced into structures to facilitate mobility of molecules.3 This includes formation of slip planes. Generally, these models have performed very well at predicting and rationalizing the mechanical properties of new materials. Recently, however, a family of one-dimensional covalent networks (coordination polymers; CPs) has been described, which show mechanical elasticity. With drastically different structural chemistry, these systems do not seem to adhere to the currently established rules. Herein, we present the first such system: a plastically bendable crystal of a 1D CP, [Zn(-Cl)2(3,5-Cl2Py)2]n (where 3,5-Cl2Py = 3,5-dichloro pyridine). This CP crystallizes in a tetragonal, and can therefore be bent over two major faces to acute angles without fracturing. We conducted bending and indentation experiments to quantify the mechanical properties of the CP crystal. This was complimented by Vibrational (Raman and Terahertz) spectroscopy and theoretical calculations for deeper understanding of molecular level structural deformation. T2 - 32nd European Crystallographic Meeting (ECM32) CY - University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria DA - 18.08.2019 KW - Mechanical Flexiblity KW - Crystal engineering KW - Coordination Polymers PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49875 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Linberg, Kevin A1 - Ali, Naveed Zafar A1 - Etter, M. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Rademann, K. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - A Comparative Study of the Ionic Cocrystals NaX (α-d-Glucose)2 (X = Cl, Br, I) N2 - The mechanochemical formation of the ionic cocrystals of glucose (Glc) and sodium salts Glc2NaCl·H2O (1) and Glc2NaX (X = Br (2), I (3)) is presented. Products are formed by co-milling Glc with three sodium salts (NaCl, NaBr, NaI). The ionic cocrystals were obtained under both neat grinding and liquid-assisted grinding conditions, the later found to accelerate the reaction kinetics. The crystal structures of the ionic cocrystals (2) and (3) were solved from powder X-ray diffraction data. The structure solution contrasts with the structure of Glc2NaCl·H2O (1) where the electron density at three halide crystallographic sites is modeled as of being the intermediate between water molecule and a chloride ion. The reaction pathways of the three ionic cocrystals were investigated in real time using our tandem approach comprising a combination of in situ synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate the rapid formation of each cocrystal directly from their respective starting materials without any intermediate moiety formation. The products were further characterized by DTA-TG and elemental analysis. KW - In situ KW - Co-crystal KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Glucose PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.8b01929 VL - 19 IS - 8 SP - 4293 EP - 4299 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-48781 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Stolar, Jasna A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Gugin, Nikita A1 - Casali, Lucia T1 - Mechanochemical pathways to sustainability: from molecular insights to applications N2 - Mechanochemical Innovations for Sustainable Synthesis of Framework Materials and Industrial ScaleUp Mechanochemistry has emerged as a powerful approach for sustainable materials synthesis and processing, with significant potential to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This presentation will highlight our recent advancements in understanding, monitoring, and scaling-up mechanochemical synthesis of framework materials, focusing on the balance between fundamental understanding of reaction mechanisms and its practical applications in energy storage and energy transfer materials. A central focus of our work has been the development and application of time-resolved in situ monitoring techniques for mechanochemical processes. Our research on real-time synchrotron X-ray diffraction has enabled unprecedented insights into reaction pathways and kinetics. Recently, we have successfully applied energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction for time-resolved in situ monitoring of reactive extrusion, marking a significant step towards ‘lighting up’ industrial-scale mechanochemistry. Bridging fundamental understanding with practical applications, we have explored the mechanochemical synthesis of functional materials for energy storage and transfer, making process in the mechanochemical synthesis of highly proton-conductive metal phosphonates, demonstrating the potential of mechanochemistry to manufacture advanced materials for energy applications. T2 - GDCh Universität Marburg CY - Marburg, Germany DA - 10.02.2025 KW - Situ investigation KW - Nanoparticles KW - Metal phosphonates PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64844 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -