Механохимия: Механикалық күштердің химиялық реакцияларға әсері

Study of chemical reactions influenced by mechanical phenomena
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. Mechanochemistry is not the same as mechanosynthesis, which refers specifically to the machine controlled construction of complex molecular products. In natural environments, mechanochemical reactions are frequently induced by physical processes such as earthquakes, glacier movement 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.

Earthquakes crush rocks across Earth's subsurface and on other tectonically active planets. Rivers also frequently abrade rocks, revealing fresh mineral surfaces and waves at a shore erode cliffs fracture rocks and abrade sediments. Similarly to rivers and oceans, the mechanical power of glaciers is evidenced by their impact on landscapes. As glaciers move downslope, they abrade rocks, generating fractured mineral surfaces that can partake in mechanochemical reactions.

In laboratories, planetary ball mills are typically used to induce crushing Ball milling is a widely used process in which mechanical force is used to achieve chemical transformations. It eliminates the need for many solvents, offering the possibility that mechanochemistry could help make many industries more environmentally friendly. For example, the mechanochemical process has been used to synthesize pharmaceutically attractive phenol hydrazones.

Mechanochemistry has potential for energy efficient solid state storage of hydrogen, ammonia and other fuel gases. The resulting powder is safer than conventional methods of compression and liquefaction.