The physics of sliding friction is gaining impulse from nanoscale and mesoscale
experiments, simulations, and theoretical modeling. This Colloquium reviews some recent …

A number of recent studies have shown that mechanical stress can significantly lower or
raise the activation barrier of a chemical reaction. Within a common approximation due to …

Coupling of mechanical forces and chemical transformations is central to the biophysics of
molecular machines, polymer chemistry, fracture mechanics, tribology, and other disciplines …

The notions of a reaction path and a reaction coordinate are central to chemistry as they
provide low-dimensional descriptions of complex molecular processes. Here we discuss …

We propose a method for computing the activation barrier for chemical reactions involving
molecules subjected to mechanical stress. The method avoids reactant and transition-state …

Ductile materials can absorb spikes in mechanical force, whereas brittle ones fail
catastrophically. Here we develop a theory to quantify the kinetic ductility of single molecules …

The energy landscape is analyzed for off-lattice bead models of protein L and protein G as a
function of a static pulling force. Two different pairs of attachment points (pulling directions) …

In covalent mechanochemistry, precise application of mechanical stress to molecules of
interest (“mechanophores”) is used to induce to promote desired reaction pathways …

The relevant parts of the microstructure participating in the plastic deformation of glassy
polystyrene are identified. This is achieved by performing quasi‐static deformation …

Adhesive forces are capable of deforming a soft elastic object when it comes in contact with
a flat rigid substrate. The contact is in stable equilibrium if the total energy of the system …