NSF Award
2426604
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY<br/><br/>For a century the atom has been the building block of chemistry and materials science. However, with the advancement of nanoscience, it may become possible to generalize the concept of the building blocks for designing novel functional materials. Nanometer sized components with precisely engineered sizes, shapes, compositions, and concomitant properties can be used as “meta-atoms” for building unprecedented materials. Just as atoms combine to form molecules or crystals with dramatically different properties than the atomic constituents, the assemblies of nanomaterials can lead to new objects whose properties are determined by the interplay of the properties of individual building blocks and the interactions between these building blocks. In contrast to true atoms, nanomaterials can be continuously varied and changed in ways that traditional atoms in the periodic table cannot. This workshop, co-organized by Dmitri Talapin (University of Chicago), Richard Robinson (Cornell University) and Kristie Koski (University of California Davis) with support by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program within the Division of Materials Research, is designed to facilitate an exchange among both emerging and established scientists working on nanomaterial assemblies. A series of presentations and roundtable discussions across six focus areas will launch discussions among experts from various niches within materials chemistry to advance the field of nanomaterial assemblies. This event will tackle key questions that lie at the heart of basic nanomaterial assembly science. The workshop engages diverse groups of researchers to ensure a rich mix of backgrounds, regions, and scientific expertise among the discussion leaders and participants. Expected from the workshop are enhanced methodologies for the controlled creation, analysis, and understanding of nanomaterial assemblies and their future applications, alongside bolstered interactions within this cross-disciplinary field.<br/><br/>TECHNICAL SUMMARY<br/><br/>The workshop on Assemblies of Nanomaterials will identify challenges and opportunities in the fundamental science of nanomaterial assemblies, including mesocrystals, hybrid materials, 2D material assemblies, and multi-component nanomaterials. It will also help establish a roadmap to (i) identify new tools and approaches in nanomaterials and assemblies, (ii) set standards for data and reproducibility with an outlook on AI integration, (iii) address how we can bring communities together across the multidisciplinary field of 0D, 1D, and 2D nanomaterial assemblies. The mission of the workshop is to understand the community views on current research frontiers, and to identify gaps and new focus areas. The workshop will advance knowledge and understanding of collective properties in nanomaterial assemblies, as well as discuss best practices and methodologies for probing the structural, morphological, and chemical properties at the nanoscale. The workshop will devise a community-driven roadmap for instrumentation, infrastructure, guidelines for future interfaces with AI, and reproducibly in data and software. By setting standards for data and reproducibility, the workshop will contribute to the development of more efficient research methodologies. This will have far-reaching implications for the ability to translate the success of applied materials into various sectors, including electronics, healthcare, and energy, where nanomaterials are increasingly being employed. <br/><br/>The workshop aims to bring together communities from different disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration that is essential for tackling complex scientific challenges. The creation of a collaborative environment will not only accelerate the pace of discovery but also facilitate the training and mentorship of the next generation of scientists and engineers. This will help align research efforts with societal needs and ensure that the advancements in nanomaterial assemblies contribute positively toward economic development, environmental sustainability, and public health.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
