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A Self-Driving Lab for Nano- and Advanced Materials Synthesis
Mohammad Zaki1,2, Carsten Prinz1, Bastian Ruehle1
1Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Strasse 11, D-12489 Berlin, Germany.
ACS Nano
|February 25, 2025
Summary
Self-driving laboratories (SDL) automate the synthesis, purification, and characterization of advanced materials. The MINERVA platform demonstrates versatility in producing diverse nanomaterials with excellent reproducibility.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemistry
- Robotics
Background:
- Self-driving laboratories (SDL) and material acceleration platforms (MAPs) are emerging technologies poised to revolutionize chemical and material synthesis.
- Nano- and advanced materials offer significant potential for addressing current material science challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the design and capabilities of MINERVA, an SDL specifically engineered for nano- and advanced materials.
- To demonstrate the platform's versatility, reproducibility, and performance across diverse material classes.
Main Methods:
- MINERVA automates synthesis, purification, and in-line characterization of materials.
- The platform was tested on seven distinct materials from five classes: metal, metal oxide, silica, metal-organic frameworks, and core-shell particles.
- Reproducibility and particle size distributions were analyzed for each material class.
Main Results:
- MINERVA successfully synthesized and characterized seven diverse nano- and advanced materials, showcasing high versatility.
- The platform demonstrated excellent reproducibility and controlled particle size distributions across different material classes.
- All hardware and software components of MINERVA are made publicly available.
Conclusions:
- MINERVA represents a flexible and versatile SDL for the automated production of nano- and advanced materials.
- The platform's performance indicates its disruptive potential in accelerating materials discovery and development.
- Open-sourcing the components promotes wider adoption and advancement in the field.
