Unlocking the Periodic Table with Megalibraries  

Researchers at Northwestern University (NU)’s International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) have established a generalizable approach to the synthesis of nanoparticle megalibraries from almost any practical element in the Periodic Table.  

EVANSTON, Ill. — A groundbreaking method developed by researchers at the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) at Northwestern University (NU) is revolutionizing how scientists synthesize novel nanomaterials. Researchers in Professor Chad A. Mirkin’s group at NU have invented and are developing nanoparticle megalibraries, libraries of millions to billions of spatially encoded nanoparticles with gradients of sizes and compositions. Megalibraries have created an inflection point in how and how fast new materials are discovered, dramatically accelerating our ability to find catalysts, optical and clean energy materials, stimuli-responsive structures, and electronic components. 

Until now, megalibraries have been unable to access all of the elements in the Periodic Table, only a select few. In a breakthrough effort, a research team led by Mirkin and Professor Vinayak Dravid has created innovative “phase-separating” nanoreactors that enable unprecedented access to megalibraries of nanoparticles comprised of atoms spanning nearly the entire periodic table. The findings are detailed in a paper titled “Traversing the Periodic Table through Phase-Separating Nanoreactors,” published on March 19 in the journal Advanced Materials.

This breakthrough significantly broadens the scope of nanoparticle megalibraries, a system that has already led to the mind-boggling realization of trillions of new inorganic materials to date. Given that the megalibrary platform is being coupled with artificial intelligence and machine learning, researchers in academia and industry can swiftly translate theoretical predictions into practical innovations by minimizing experimental hurdles, accelerating technological development spanning electronics, catalysis, medicine and more.  

The study underscores the immense potential of this generalized synthesis platform, particularly as complementary high-throughput property screening methods continue to evolve, promising even greater impact on our ability to navigate the materials genome in the future.   

The paper, “Traversing the Periodic Table through Phase-Separating Nanoreactors,” can be found in Advanced Materials on March 19.   

About the IIN  
Founded in 2000 as an umbrella organization to coalesce and foster nanotechnology efforts globally, the International Institute for Nanotechnology, directed by Prof. Chad A. Mirkin, represents and unites more than $2.7 billion in nanotechnology research, educational programs, and supporting infrastructure. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the IIN, celebrating a quarter-century of leadership and innovation in nanoscience and technology.