Traditional, solvent-heavy synthesis of coordination compounds has been known for over a century. Since most of the elements of the periodic table are metals, and since most of these metals can bind to electron-donating ligands, there is an immense number of known coordination compounds. These complexes have important uses in medicinal chemistry, as industrial catalysts, and in biological processes. A more energetically and environmentally efficient method of synthesis for these pervasive compounds can be achieved through mechanochemistry. Mechanochemistry, or the use of mechanical energy to cause a chemical reaction, is emerging as a greener alternative to traditional solvent-heavy syntheses. Grinding neat reactants together, either by hand in a mortar and pestle or by a powered mill, is often enough to initiate reaction and form desired products. In this study, mechanochemical alternative syntheses for several compounds were investigated and resulting compounds were analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (<sup>1</sup>H NMR) spectroscopy to elucidate chemical and crystalline structure. To the best of our knowledge, the novel mechanochemical synthesis of one coordination compound, dichlorothiosemicarbazidezinc(II) was confirmed, and another, dichloro-bis(N-pyridine)-copper(II), may have been synthesized mechanochemically for the first time. Presented herein are proposed structures, formulae, and synthetic pathways for several coordination complexes.

Mechanochemical synthesis of selected coordination complexes

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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