From Molecules to Interactions to Crystal Engineering: Mechanical Properties of Organic Solids.

TLDR: This Account describes efforts at focusing down into mechanical properties of organic molecular crystals from the viewpoint of crystal engineering, which is the synthesis and design of functional molecular solids and presents examples where complex properties may be deliberately turned on or off in organic crystals.

Abstract: ConspectusMechanical properties of organic molecular crystals have been noted and studied over the years but the complexity of the subject and its relationship with diverse fields such as mechanochemistry, phase transformations, polymorphism, and chemical, mechanical, and materials engineering have slowed understanding. Any such understanding also needs conceptual advances—sophisticated instrumentation, computational modeling, and chemical insight—lack of such synergy has surely hindered progress in this important field. This Account describes our efforts at focusing down into this interesting subject from the viewpoint of crystal engineering, which is the synthesis and design of functional molecular solids. Mechanical properties of soft molecular crystals imply molecular movement within the solid; the type of property depends on the likelihood of such movement in relation to the applied stress, including the ability of molecules to restore themselves to their original positions when the stress is removed...