A solid phase honey-like channel method for synthesizing urea-ammonium chloride cocrystals on industrial scale

•A solid phase honey-like channel method is put forwarded.•The method is suitable for industrial scale manufacture.•Urea-ammonium chloride cocrystal is synthesized.

Unanticipated a new and simple urea-ammonium chloride cocrystal synthesis method on industrial scale was found during attempts to produce a kind of granulated compound fertilizer. The aggregation of fertilizer powder can make the interaction among particles from loose to close, which generate mechanical pressure and in turn act as the driving force to benefit cocrystal growth. Additionally, the honeycomb-like channels constructed by other coexisting compound make the water evaporates more moderate, which can help the formation of supersaturated solution at suitable rate, further promote the growth of cocrystal. This approach possibly opens a new route toward the developing methodologies for cocrystal synthesis.