Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.141, No.3, 1212-1216, 2019
Isotope Labeling Reveals Fast Atomic and Molecular Exchange in Mechanochemical Milling Reactions
Using tandem in situ monitoring and isotope-labeled solids, we reveal that mechanochemical ball-milling overcomes inherently slow solid-state diffusion through continuous comminution and growth of milled particles. This process occurs with or without a net chemical reaction and also occurs between solids and liquid additives that can be practically used for highly efficient deuterium labeling of solids. The presented findings reveal a fundamental aspect of milling reactions and also delineate a methodology that should be considered in the study of mechanochemical reaction mechanisms.