TY - JOUR A1 - Feiler, Torvid A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Rhim, S.-Y. A1 - Schöder, V. A1 - List-Kratochvil, E. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Tuning the mechanical flexibility of organic molecular crystals by polymorphism for flexible optical waveguides N2 - The ability to selectively tune the optical and the mechanical properties of organic molecular crystals offers a promising approach towards developing flexible optical devices. These functional properties are sensitive to crystallographic packing features and are hence expected to vary with polymorphic modification. Using as a model system the photoluminescent material 4-bromo-6-[(6-chloropyridin-2-ylimino)methyl]phenol (CPMBP), we herein demonstrate the simultaneous tuning of mechanical flexibility and photoluminescence properties via polymorphism. Two new polymorphic forms of CPMBP were obtained from a solution and fully characterised using a combination of experiments and density functional theory simulations. These polymorphic forms exhibit remarkably distinct mechanical properties and an order of magnitude difference in photoluminescence quantum yield. The mechanically plastic form has a higher quantum yield than the brittle polymorphic form. However, their photoluminescence emission profile is largely unaffected by the observed polymorphism, thereby demonstrating that the optical properties and bulk mechanical properties can in principle be tuned independently. By distinguishing between active (involving absorption and emission) and passive (involving no absorption) light propagation, the waveguiding properties of the plastic form of CPMBP (form II) were explored using the straight and bent crystals to highlight the potential applications of CPMBP in designing flexible optical devices. Our results demonstrated that polymorph engineering would be a promising avenue to achieve concurrent modulation of the optical and mechanical properties of photoluminescent molecular crystals for next-generation flexible optical device applications. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Flexible PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-532075 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ce00642h VL - 23 IS - 34 SP - 5815 EP - 5825 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - London AN - OPUS4-53207 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Belenguer, A. A1 - Lampronti, G. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Sanders, J. T1 - Quantitative reversible one pot interconversion of three crystalline polymorphs by ball mill grinding N2 - We demonstrate here using a disulfide system the first example of reversible, selective, and quantitative transformation between three crystalline polymorphs by ball mill grinding. This includes the discovery of a previously unknown polymorph. Each polymorph is reproducibly obtained under well-defined neat or liquid-assisted grinding conditions, revealing subtle control over the apparent thermodynamic stability. We discovered that the presence of a contaminant as low as 1.5% mol mol−1 acting as a template is required to enable all these three polymorph transformations. The relative stabilities of the polymorphs are determined by the sizes of the nanocrystals produced under different conditions and by surface interactions with small amounts of added solvent. For the first time, we show evidence that each of the three polymorphs is obtained with a unique and reproducible crystalline size. This mechanochemical approach gives access to bulk quantities of metastable polymorphs that are inaccessible through recrystallisation. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Polymorph KW - XRD PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-549934 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CE00393G SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-54993 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heinekamp, Christian A1 - Palmer, Tahlia M. A1 - Al‐Sabbagh, Dominik A1 - May, Anastasia A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Michalik, Stefan A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Pre‐Activation as a Route for Tuning the Kinetics of Mechanochemical Transformations N2 - Learning to control reaction kinetics is essential for translating any chemical technology into real‐world application. Based on time‐resolved in situ powder X‐ray diffraction data, we demonstrate the opportunity to tune mechanochemical reaction rates through the pre‐activation of the starting reagents. For three model co‐crystal systems, the pre‐activation of the most stable reagent yields up to a ca 10‐fold increase in the reaction rate, whilst negligible kinetic enhancement is seen when the less stable reagent is pre‐activated. Moreover, we demonstrate how the polymorphic outcome of mechano‐co‐crystallization is also sensitive to pre‐activation of the starting material. Our results suggest that reproducibility of mechanochemical processes requires detailed understanding over the origin and history of reagent powders, whilst providing a new conceptual framework to design and control mechanochemical reactions. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - In situ synthesis PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-649409 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202516632 SN - 1433-7851 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-64940 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - The Mechanochemical Excitation of Crystalline LiN3 N2 - Mechanochemical reactions are driven by the direct absorption of mechanical energy by a solid (often crystalline) material. Understanding how this energy is absorbed and ultimately causes a chemical transformation is essential for understanding the elementary stages of mechanochemical transformations. Using as a model system the energetic material LiN3 we here consider how vibrational energy flows through the crystal structure. By considering the compression response of the crystalline material we identify the partitioning of energy into an initial vibrational excitation. Subsequent energy flow is based on concepts of phonon–phonon scattering, which we calculate within a quasi-equilibrium model facilitated by phonon scattering data obtained from Density Functional Theory (DFT). Using this model we demonstrate how the moments (picoseconds) immediately following mechanical impact lead to significant thermal excitation of crystalline LiN3, sufficient to drive marked changes in its electronic structure and hence chemical reactivity. This work paves the way towards an ab initio approach to studying elementary processes in mechanochemical reactions involving crystalline solids. KW - Energetic materials KW - Ab initio simulation KW - DFT KW - Mechanochemistry PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-559310 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d2fd00112h SP - 1 EP - 20 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-55931 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Cakir, Cafer Tufan A1 - Radtke, Martin A1 - Haider, M. Bilal A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - F. M. Oliveira, P. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - Dispersive x-ray absorption spectroscopy for time-resolved in situ monitoring of mechanochemical reactions N2 - X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) provides a unique, atom-specific tool to probe the electronic structure of solids. By surmounting long-held limitations of powder-based XAS using a dynamically averaged powder in a Resonant Acoustic Mixer (RAM), we demonstrate how time-resolved in situ (TRIS) XAS provides unprecedented detail of mechanochemical synthesis. The use of a custom-designed dispersive XAS (DXAS) setup allows us to increase the time resolution over existing fluorescence measurements from ∼15 min to 2 s for a complete absorption spectrum. Hence, we here establish TRIS-XAS as a viable method for studying mechanochemical reactions and sampling reaction kinetics. The generality of our approach is demonstrated through RAM-induced (i) bottom-up Au nanoparticle mechanosynthesis and (ii) the synthesis of a prototypical metal organic framework, ZIF-8. Moreover, we demonstrate that our approach also works with the addition of a stainless steel milling ball, opening the door to using TRIS-DXAS for following conventional ball milling reactions. We expect that our TRIS-DXAS approach will become an essential part of the mechanochemical tool box. KW - In situ studies KW - Dipsersive XAS KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Time-resolved PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-567659 DO - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0130673 SN - 1089-7690 VL - 157 IS - 21 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - American Institute of Physics CY - Melville, NY AN - OPUS4-56765 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mazzeo, P A1 - Lampronti, G A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Belenguer, A A1 - Bacchi, A A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Accurate extrinsic and intrinsic peak broadening modelling for time-resolved in situ ball milling reactions via synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction N2 - The debate on the mechanisms which underpin mechanochemical reactions via ball mill grinding is still open. Our ability to accurately measure the microstructural (crystal size and microstrain) evolution of materials under milling conditions as well as their phase composition as a function of time is key to the in-depth understanding of the kinetics and driving forces of mechanochemical transformations. Furthermore, all ball milling reactions end with a steady state or milling equilibrium – represented by a specific phase composition and relative microstructure – that does not change as long as the milling conditions are maintained. The use of a standard sample is essential to determine the instrumental contribution to the X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) peak broadening for time-resolved in situ (TRIS) monitoring of mechanochemical reactions under in operando conditions. Using TRIS-XRPD on a ball milling setup, coupled with low-energy synchrotron radiation, we investigated different data acquisition and analysis strategies on a silicon standard powder. The diffraction geometry and the microstructural evolution of the standard itself have been studied to model the instrumental contribution to XRPD peak broadening throughout the grinding activity. Previously proposed functions are here challenged and further developed. Importantly, we show that minor drifts of the jar position do not affect the instrumental resolution function significantly. We here report and discuss the results of such investigations and their application to TRIS-XRPD datasets of inorganic and organic ball mill grinding reactions. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - In situ diffraction KW - Synchrotron radiation KW - Sustainable chemisry PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d2fd00104g SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-55932 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ravi, J. A1 - Feiler, Torvid A1 - Mondal, A. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Reddy, C. M. A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Chandrasekar, R. T1 - Plastically bendable organic crystals for monolithic and hybrid micro-optical circuits N2 - Fluorescent plastically bendable crystals are a promising alternative to silicon-based materials for fabricating photonic integrated circuits, owing to their optical attributes and mechanical compliance. Mechanically bendable plastic organic crystals are rare. Their formation requires anisotropic intermolecular interactions and slip planes in the crystal lattice. This work presents three fluorescent plastically bendable crystalline materials namely, 2-((E)-(6-methylpyridin-2-ylimino)methyl)-4-chlorophenol (SB1), 2-((E)-(6-methylpyridin-2-ylimino)methyl)-4-bromophenol (SB2), and 2-((E)-(6-Bromopyridin-2-ylimino)methyl)-4-bromophenol (SB3) molecules. The crystal plasticity in response to mechanical stress facilitates the fabrication of various monolithic and hybrid (with a tip-to-tip coupling) photonic circuits using mechanical micromanipulation with an atomic force microscope cantilever tip. These plastically bendable crystals act as active (self-guiding of fluorescence) and passive waveguides both in straight and extremely bent (U-, J-, and O-shaped) geometries. These microcircuits use active and passive waveguiding principles and reabsorbance and energy-transfer mechanisms for their operation, allowing input-selective and direction-specific signal transduction. KW - Flexible crystals KW - Flexible waveguide PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-565302 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.202201518 SN - 2195-1071 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-56530 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Silbernagl, Dorothee A1 - Yasuda, N. A1 - Feiler, Torvid A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - An atomistic mechanism for elasto-plastic bending in molecular crystals N2 - Mechanically flexible single crystals of molecular materials offer potential for a multitude of new directions in advanced materials design. Before the full potential of such materials can be exploited, insight into their mechanisms of action must be better understood. Such insight can be only obtained through synergistic use of advanced experimentation and simulation. We herein report the first detailed mechanistic study of elasto-plastic flexibility in a molecular solid. An atomistic origin for this mechanical behaviour is proposed through a combination of atomic force microscopy, μ-focus synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, ab initio simulation, and computed elastic tensors. Our findings suggest that elastic and plastic bending are intimately linked and result from extensions of the same molecular deformations. The proposed mechanism bridges the gap between contested mechanisms, suggesting its applicability as a general mechanism for elastic and plastic bending in organic molecular crystals. KW - Mechanical property KW - Mechanical flexibility KW - Organic crystal PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-577722 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2SC06470G SN - 2041-6520 VL - 14 IS - 13 SP - 3441 EP - 3450 PB - Royal Society of Chemisty (RSC) CY - London/Cambridge AN - OPUS4-57772 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lakshmipathi, M. A1 - Dey, S. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - Designing Dual Mechanical Response in Molecular Crystals through Cocrystallization N2 - Two isomorphous crystals are reported based on a naphthylvinylpyridine coformer. The crystals are mechanically flexible and exhibit photosalient response to UV irradiation. We therefore show how multiple mechanical phenomena can be simultaneously designed into a single material by cocrystallization. KW - Cocrystal KW - Mechanical response PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.2c00913 SN - 1528-7483 VL - 22 SP - 6838 EP - 6843 PB - ACS Publ. CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-56561 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Feiler, Torvid A1 - Yasuda, N. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit T1 - Mechanistic Investigation of an Elastically Flexible Organic Crystal N2 - Mechanical flexibility in molecular crystals is a fascinating behavior with potential for developing advanced technologies. However, the phenomenon of mechanical bending is poorly understood. We explore for the first time the atomistic origin of elastic bending in a single component organic crystal using a combination of μ-focus synchrotron X-ray diffraction and ab initio simulation. KW - Flexible crystals KW - DFT calculation KW - Bending mechanism PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-581949 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.3c00473 SN - 1528-7483 VL - 23 IS - 9 SP - 6244 EP - 6249 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-58194 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Linberg, Kevin A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - Unintended Rate Enhancement in Mechanochemical Kinetics by Using Poly(methyl methacrylate) Jars N2 - Time-resolved in situ (TRIS) X-ray diffraction has changed how mechanochemical transformations are studied but requires the use of X-ray transparent jars often made from poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). However, using PMMA jars can alter the apparent kinetics of mechanochemical polymorphism by an order of magnitude, questioning the interpretability of established TRIS methods. Our results suggest that rate enhancement in PMMA jars may not be dominated by chemical effects of the polymer, but rather a result of different equilibrium temperatures within the jar. These features must be better understood before control over mechanochemical reactions can be achieved. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Organic compounds KW - Polymers KW - Materials PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-565276 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.2c01227 SN - 1528-7483 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-56527 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Casali, Lucia A1 - Carta, Maria A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Delogu, Francesco A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Kinetics of the mechanically induced ibuprofen–nicotinamide co-crystal formation by in situ X-ray diffraction N2 - Mechanochemistry is drawing attention from the pharmaceutical industry given its potential for sustainable material synthesis and manufacture. Scaling mechanochemical processes to industrial level remains a challenge due to an incomplete understanding of their underlying mechanisms. We here show how time-resolved in situ powder X-ray diffraction data, coupled with analytical kinetic modelling, provides a powerful approach to gain mechanistic insight into mechanochemical reactions. By using the ibuprofen–nicotinamide co-crystal mechanosynthesis as a benchmark system, we investigate the behaviour of the solids involved and identify the factors that promote the reaction. As mechanochemical mechanisms become increasingly clear, it promises to become a breakthrough in the industrial preparation of advanced pharmaceuticals. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Kinetics PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-608820 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CP01457J SN - 1463-9084 VL - 26 SP - 22041 EP - 22048 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-60882 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Linberg, Kevin A1 - Röder, Bettina A1 - Al-Sabbagh, Dominik A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - Controlling polymorphism in molecular cocrystals by variable temperature ball milling N2 - Mechanochemistry offers a unique opportunity to modify and manipulate crystal forms, often providing new products as compared with conventional solution methods. While promising, there is little known about how to control the solid form through mechanochemical means, demanding dedicated investigations. Using a model organic cocrystal system (isonicotinamide:glutaric acid), we here demonstrate that with mechanochemistry, polymorphism can be induced in molecular solids under conditions seemingly different to their conventional thermodynamic (thermal) transition point. Whereas Form II converts to Form I upon heating to 363 K, the same transition can be initiated under ball milling conditions at markedly lower temperatures (348 K). Our results indicate that mechanochemical techniques can help to reduce the energy barriers to solid form transitions, offering new insights into controlling polymorphic forms. Moreover, our results suggest that the nature of mechanochemical transformations could make it difficult to interpret mechanochemical solid form landscapes using conventional equilibrium-based tools. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Kinetics KW - In situ PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-558878 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d2fd00115b SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-55887 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - 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 - Ghiringhelli, Luca M. A1 - Baldauf, Carsten A1 - Bereau, Tristan A1 - Brockhauser, Sandor A1 - Carbogno, Christian A1 - Chamanara, Javad A1 - Cozzini, Stefano A1 - Curtarolo, Stefano A1 - Draxl, Claudia A1 - Dwaraknath, Shyam A1 - Fekete, Ádám A1 - Kermode, James A1 - Koch, Christoph T. A1 - Kühbach, Markus A1 - Ladines, Alvin Noe A1 - Lambrix, Patrick A1 - Himmer, Maja-Olivia A1 - Levchenko, Sergey V. A1 - Oliveira, Micael A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Miller, Ronald E. A1 - Onat, Berk A1 - Pavone, Pasquale A1 - Pizzi, Giovanni A1 - Regler, Benjamin A1 - Rignanese, Gian-Marco A1 - Schaarschmidt, Jörg A1 - Scheidgen, Markus A1 - Schneidewind, Astrid A1 - Sheveleva, Tatyana A1 - Su, Chuanxun A1 - Usvyat, Denis A1 - Valsson, Omar A1 - Wöll, Christof A1 - Scheffler, Matthias T1 - Shared metadata for data-centric materials science N2 - The expansive production of data in materials science, their widespread sharing and repurposing requires educated support and stewardship. In order to ensure that this need helps rather than hinders scientific work, the implementation of the FAIR-data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) must not be too narrow. Besides, the wider materials-science community ought to agree on the strategies to tackle the challenges that are specific to its data, both from computations and experiments. In this paper, we present the result of the discussions held at the workshop on “Shared Metadata and Data Formats for Big-Data Driven Materials Science”. We start from an operative definition of metadata, and the features that a FAIR-compliant metadata schema should have. We will mainly focus on computational materials-science data and propose a constructive approach for the FAIRification of the (meta)data related to ground-state and excited-states calculations, potential-energy sampling, and generalized workflows. Finally, challenges with the FAIRification of experimental (meta)data and materials-science ontologies are presented together with an outlook of how to meet them. KW - Library and Information Sciences KW - Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty KW - Computer Science Applications KW - Education KW - Information Systems KW - Statistics and Probability PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-584846 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02501-8 VL - 10 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-58484 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 -