Materials with controlled synthetic structures based on specific atomic structures have driven technological progress, but still rely on iterative and trial-and-error methods. The atomic arrangement of nanoparticles (NPs) determines their emergent properties, 1–5 and synthesis is particularly challenging due to the numerous parameters. Here, we introduce an autonomous method that explicitly targets atomic-scale structures through scattering patterns. Our method autonomously designs synthesis protocols by matching real-time experimental total scattering (TS) and pair distribution function (PDF) data with simulated target patterns, without requiring embedded synthesis knowledge. We demonstrate this capability on target scattering patterns of two structurally distinct gold NPs at synchrotron radiation: 5-nanometer tetrahedral scattering and 10-nanometer face-centered cubic structure. Ultimately, specifying the target scattering mode and autonomously approaching the synthesis protocol for experimental replication may enable on-demand, atomically-structured material design. Therefore, ScatterLab provides a universal blueprint for autonomous, atomically-structured synthesis, applicable to different systems and applications. This research was published in ACS Nano under the title "Autonomous Synthesis of Nanoparticles with Target Scattering Patterns".
References:
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c1548