Mechanochemistry and thermochemistry are different: stress-induced strengthening of chemical bonds.
Most chemical reactions require activation which is conventionally supplied by heat. In stark contrast, mechanical activation by applied external forces opens intriguing novel possibilities. Here, the first direct comparison of mechanical versus thermal activation of bond breaking is provided. Studying both thiolate-copper interfaces and junctions provides evidence for vastly different reaction pathways and product classes. This is understood in terms of directional mechanical manipulation of coordination numbers and system fluctuations in the process of mechanical activation.
Center for Computational Materials Science, Slovak University of Technology (FEI STU), 81219 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Martin
M
Konôpka
Robert
R
Turanský
Joachim
J
Reichert
Harald
H
Fuchs
Dominik
D
Marx
Ivan
I
Stich