Mechanochemistry yields supersized nanographenes

The mechanochemical Scholl reaction Index

Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry

Ball milling produces large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a matter of minutes

Grinding up small molecules to make larger ones may seem counterintuitive, but scientists in Germany have done just that. The new protocol produces large nanographenes using a solvent-free mechanochemistry process, alleviating critical problems related to the poor solubility of the starting materials.