Chemists discover temporary phases of chemical structures
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 06:30
in Physics & Chemistry
The research group of Prof. Tomislav Friščić in McGill's Department of Chemistry has made a name for itself in the little-known, but growing field of "mechanochemistry," in which chemical transformations are produced by milling, grinding or shearing solid-state ingredients – brute force, in other words, rather than fancy liquid agents. "Your coffee maker grinds things," and grinding molecules in the lab involves much the same principle, Friščić notes. Using mechanical force also has the significant advantage of avoiding the use of environmentally harmful bulk solvents.