Using Solid Catalysts in Disulfide‐Based Dynamic Combinatorial Solution‐ and Mechanochemistry

It was shown for the first time that solid amines can act as catalysts for disulfide‐based dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC) by ball mill grinding. The mechanochemical equilibrium for the two disulfide reactions studied was reached within 1–3 h using ten different amine catalysts. This contrasts with the weeks to months to achieve solution equilibrium for most solid amine catalysts at 2 %mol mol−1 concentration in a 2 mMolar disulfide dynamic combinatorial library in a suitable solvent. The final mechanochemical equilibrium was independent of the catalyst used but varied with other ball mill grinding factors such as the presence of traces of solvent. The different efficiencies of the amines tested were discussed. Cut and dried: Solid‐state amine catalysts can be used to drive mechanochemical disulfide exchange reactions, eliminating the need for any liquid‐phase reagents. The solid catalysts perform significantly better under mechanochemical conditions as compared with solution conditions.