NSF Center for the Mechanical Control of Chemistry

The NSF Center for the Mechanical Control of Chemistry (CMCC) is an integrative research and training environment that brings together chemists, physicists, and engineers around the common goal of establishing a fundamental understanding of mechanochemistry – the use of mechanical force to drive chemical reactions. Mechanochemistry offers a powerful and versatile means for chemical synthesis, opening the door to new reactions and new materials that cannot be made using traditional synthetic methods.

While the effects of light, heat, and electric charge for driving chemical reactions are well understood, the use of mechanical force as a controlling synthetic element is far less developed. To unveil the full potential of mechanochemistry, the CMCC aims to bridge key knowledge gaps between the fields of chemistry and mechanics which have limited the broad application of mechanochemistry as a core synthetic methodology.

As mechanochemical reactions can often be carried out with little or no solvent, and at lower temperatures than traditional synthetic approaches, the translation of knowledge in the CMCC from molecular-scale understanding, to large scale syntheses, has the potential for major technological and economic benefits globally, affording more sustainable approaches to the synthesis of chemicals and materials.

The CMCC is a coordinated effort among academic, industrial, and national lab partners who are seeking to advance fundamental science which will drive applications in the field of mechanochemistry. Through the development of an Integrated Toolset Program (ITP), the CMCC will advance both experimental and computational tools, establishing fundamental relationships between key reaction parameters and applied forces/stresses.

This research aims to develop new chemical reactions and models for predictable mechanochemical syntheses in terms of reaction rates, product yields, and selectivity. These new tools will be applied to advance our understanding of mechanochemical processes for chemical systems ranging from fundamental organic and organometallic reactions (Thrust 1) to solid-state materials, e.g. layered lanthanides, perovskites and metal halides (Thrust 2).

The interplay of synergistic activation mechanisms of force with light, heat, and charge is expected to expand understanding of this powerful approach to chemical synthesis. Working with industrial partners, the CMCC seeks to translate this new understanding of force-dependent selectivity and reactivity into new reactor designs, with integrated force control for scale-up.

Synergistic research carried out by members of the CMCC has the potential to yield disruptive technologies for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. To support this sea change, the CMCC will recruit and educate a diverse mechanochemistry workforce. CMCC trainees will be immersed in an inclusive and interdisciplinary environment, benefitting from new curricular developments, exposure to innovation and industrial collaborations, and engagement through extensive informal science communication efforts designed to connect with K-12 and public audiences. This will establish the CMCC as a premier global hub for mechanochemistry.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.