Materials Synthesis: The oldest problem in chemistry



From the bronze age to the iron age


Since ancient times, new technological advancements have been driven by materials discovery. Prehistoric metallurgists discovering new routes to iron made the metal readily available for weapons and farm tools.

Phase diagram of the Ca-Sc-O system





Current synthetic techniques have heavily focused on stable materials. These processes have enabled innovation, however metastable materials hold great promise for modern applications.






Structure of YAsS


Quantum materials promise to revolutionize energy transport and computing, however understanding their properties requires controlled study of structural analogues. Using metathesis routes we target metastable materials in collaboration with Institut Quantique



Phase diagram with an additional dimension shown



We also target new materials by changing extrinsic thermodynamic variables. By adding new dementionality to phase diagrams we increase the accessible chemical space.











CRSNG
Institut Quantique