Shaking Up Photochemistry: The Future Frontiers of Mechanophotocatalysis

Solution-state photocatalysis is fundamentally reliant on the use of organic solvents, which are associated with significant safety, sustainability, and implementation challenges for conducting light-driven reactions. Mechanophotocatalysis tantalizingly addresses these issues by significantly reducing the use of solvent, using mechanical mixing to mediate light-driven transformations. In this perspective, we examine the motivations for combining photocatalysis with mechanochemistry, as-sess how this nascent methodology has evolved, and speculate on future research directions that should be explored in order for mechanophotocatalysis to emerge as a useful and complementary methodology for conducting photochemical reactions under solvent-minimized conditions.