Highly efficient mechanochemical scission of silver-carbene coordination polymers

The ultrasound-induced scission of silver carbene coordination complexes with polytetrahydrofuran-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene ligands is reported. In solution, scission is very efficient, with complete conversion within 10 min when the polymers have a molecular weight of 6.7 kDa. The mechanochemical origin of the scission is supported by the molecular weight dependence of the scission rate and by the low reactivity of the silver complex with low molecular weight ligands. The mechanochemical process at room temperature is much faster than thermal scission at 60 °C, which has a conversion of 30% in 18 h.