Researchers develop solvent-free chemistry -- a boon for environment
organic chemistry reactions are used every day to produce millions of consumer and industrial products. However, these reactions are typically carried out through the use of a solvent, which leads to atmospheric emissions, hazardous waste, and human health concerns.
"Most of these solvents pose serious risks to health and the environment and are costly to decontaminate and dispose of," says Vitalij Pecharsky, senior scientist at the us-based Ames Laboratory. "So if one could produce organic materials without using solvents, it would have a great impact on both materials science and chemistry." Needless to say, the impact on the environment on this 'new chemistry' would be far lessthan that of all the reactions which are solvent based.
Researchers at Ames Laboratory have done just that through the use of a ball mill. Describing the process in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Pecharsky and Ames Lab colleagues Viktor Balema, Jerzy Wiench, and Marek Pruski, used high-energy ball-milling, a well-known process for producing and modifying metal alloys.
In this process, organic chemicals are placed in a hardened steel vial along with steel balls. The vial is vigorously shaken and mechanical energy transferred into the system combines the materials into new compounds.
Nearly all the discovered transformations conducted by the scientists were found to be exceptionally efficient and selective in the solid state. Furthermore, they can be carried out consecutively, or as 'one-pot' processes, when components required for performing several different processes are ball-milled together in the same vial -- a feat not usually possible with the use of solvents. A provisional patent application has been filed for the process.
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