Organic Mechanochemistry and Its Practical Applications gathers physical and organic chemistry-based molecular principles, evolving interpretations of scientific data, and real world applications to demonstrate the synthetic advantages of mechanically initiated organic reactions. This book considers transformations of organic substances upon mechanical actions and explains how mechanical energy is transformed into chemical driving force. The author, a renowned expert in physical and organic chemistry, carefully examines the concurrent chemical and physical processes—particularly polymerization and dynamic shearing—that involve organic substances and inorganic surfaces during lubrication. Dr. Todres discusses the various factors that affect boundary lubrication, such as material properties, chemical reactivity, pressure, and temperature. The book describes conformational transformations and structural phase transitions of organic molecules and working materials that take place under mechanical forces, such as drilling, grinding, friction, and shearing, and shock-waves. Other key topics include mechanochromism, tribopolymerization, mechanical activation of organic reactions, and the peculiarities of catalytic effects in organic mechanochemistry. Throughout the text, the author highlights novel technical applications of mechanochemical phenomena in a variety of fields, including lubrication, biomedical engineering, pharmaceutical drug formulation, environmental protection, and practical economy. Organic Mechanochemistry and Its Practical Applications reveals how mechanochemistry was inspired by principles in various disciplines to create innovative approaches for current challenges in these fields.

This book presents a groundbreaking hypothesis to answer one of the greatest scientific mysteries: How did life begin? Like a detective piecing together seemingly disparate bits of evidence, Dr. Sankar Chatterjee combines the most recent discoveries in cosmology, geology, chemistry, information systems, and biology, weaving a vast tapestry from the threads of current research. Dr. Chatterjee convincingly argues that the odyssey of life first began when the fundamental building blocks were brought to Earth by meteorites. These cosmic compounds concentrated and simmered like a soup in hydrothermal crater-caldrons. Through a system of subterranean vent networks, a biosynthetic-rich variety of organic compounds mixed and matched into a recipe of rich biomolecules guided by prebiotic information systems. Through symbiosis, these complex biopolymers gradually assemble into membrane-bound protocells. At each stage of this evolutionary progression, through natural selection, they refined with increasing stability and complexity, ultimately leading to the emergence of the first cells about four billion years ago. In this book, Dr. Chatterjee tells this story in rigorous detail in language that is both accessible and engaging.

A comprehensive guide to carbon inside Earth - its quantities, movements, forms, origins, changes over time and impact on planetary processes. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.