Direct MechanoOrganoCatalysis via Surface Functionalization of Milling Reactors

Mechanochemistry, particularly ball milling, has emerged as a green and efficient alternative to traditional solution-based synthesis, enabling solvent-free reactions with broad applications across organic, medicinal, and materials chemistry. While metal-based direct mechanocatalysis is well established, direct mechanoorganocatalysis under ball-milling conditions is unprecedented. By developing epoxy resin milling jars functionalized with piperazine, this work addresses challenges in catalyst recovery and loading. These novel reusable organocatalytic reactors demonstrated high efficiency in the Knoevenagel condensation and a multicomponent reaction, offering a promising strategy for sustainable mechanochemical synthesis.