Mechanochemistry, the application of mechanical force to drive chemical reactions, is widely used in industry to activate force-sensitive inorganic materials (mechanophores). In recent years, there has been considerable interest in developing organic and polymeric mechanophores that could offer new opportunities for the development of catalytic systems, drug-release technologies, sensors, and other advanced functional materials. Shen et al. report that some flex-activated polymeric mechanophores can release an N-heterocyclic carbene under mechanical load without degradation of the polymer main chain and over multiple compression-activation cycles. The proposed mechanophores could be used as a platform to release various classes of N-heterocyclic carbenes, widely used organocatalysts, which could trigger practically useful secondary reactions upon activation.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 10.1002/anie.202100576 (2021).