Promoting "impossible" reactions with force

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Mechanical force is a formidable source of energy that, with its ability to distort, bend and stretch chemical bonds, is remarkable in its ability to direct chemical transformations along reaction pathways that are otherwise inaccessible to other methods of activation. The precise control of this force could revolutionise how we build and rearrange molecular structures and change the way we think about chemical transformations. Here we propose to use mechanical force to promote "impossible" reactions by deforming the carbon skeleton of the substrate to facilitate a chemical transformation. Substrates will be embedded in a polymer chain, activated mechanically using high-intensity ultrasound. After its removal from the polymer the substrate will be isolated and characterised to assess the efficiency of the mechanical activation. This project explores some fundamental aspects of the reactivity of molecules under tension and we envision applying this approach to other challenging reactions (such as C-H activation/oxidation), opening new avenues in synthetic organic and material chemistry.