Affordable Automated Modules for Lab-Scale High-Throughput Synthesis of Inorganic Materials

The development of sustainable advanced materials is increasingly driven by the need for sustainable, faster, scalable, and more efficient research workflows. Advancements in computational screening, high-throughput experimentation, and artificial intelligence (AI) are accelerating progress in materials discovery. To fully leverage the benefits of these complementary approaches, the implementation of materials acceleration platforms (MAPs) and self-driving laboratories (SDL) has emerged as a promising strategy. Here, we present the development of a semi-automated station for the lab-scale high-throughput synthesis (HTS) of inorganic materials, as part of the Materials Acceleration and Innovation plaTform for ENergy Applications (MAITENA). The system integrates two in-house-designed liquid-handling modules capable of performing sol-gel, Pechini, solid-state, and hydro/solvothermal syntheses. Each module enables the preparation of several dozen gram-scale samples per week with high reproducibility and minimal manual intervention. The system's capabilities are demonstrated through three case studies involving Li-ion battery materials. Results highlight the module's utilization for efficient screening of compositions and synthesis conditions to vary materials' properties. This accessible and modular infrastructure offers a practical route to implementing high-throughput strategies in inorganic materials research.