Mechanosynthesis is a powerful alternative
to traditional solvent-based
synthesis as it allows for higher yields in shorter reaction times,
while minimizing the use of solvents. Although mechanochemical routes
are becoming increasingly mainstream in synthetic laboratories, up-scaled
examples for main group complexes are still rare. Here, motivated
by the practical implementation of mechanosynthesis, we demonstrated
the synthesis of salen and salophen complexes. The herein reported
synthesis displays low E-factor and process mass intensity compared
to conventional solution methods. In addition, analyses evaluating
environmental parameters, energy consumption, and production cost
have been performed, showing the multiple advantages mechanochemistry
has over conventional solution-based synthesis.