The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $20 million in Phase 2 funding to a multi-institutional research center focused on nanocrystal discovery and design. The Center for Single-Entity Nanochemistry and Nanocrystal Design (CSENND) is part of the NSF’s Centers for Chemical Innovation Program.
Led by Indiana University Bloomington, CSENND includes nine partner institutions — Indiana University, Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Washington, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Rochester and Purdue University. At Illinois, professor Paul Kenis, the Elio Eliakim Tarika Endowed Chair in chemical and biomolecular engineering, and graduate student Brandon Chiang will collaborate closely with the other CSENND scientists on developing platforms and workflows that aim to enhance the reproducibility of nanocrystal syntheses, such as copper nanorods that hold promise as catalysts. Kenis and Chiang will also help to plan initial experiments and create nanocrystal libraries of catalysts for C-N coupling, using urea synthesis as the model system.
“It is exciting to be able to apply our various automated and autonomous nanocrystal synthesis, purification and characterization technologies, which were developed by former graduate students Ajit Vikram and Jeff Xu, to the various classes of nanocrystal materials being studied by other PIs in CSENND,” Kenis said.
Rather than examining bulk form properties, CSENND focuses on studying how individual nanocrystals behave. This approach offers insights that could unlock more precise and powerful technologies.
“Nanocrystals are like a microscopic goldmine of molecular treasures,” said NSF Assistant Director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences David Berkowitz in a press release about the award. “The NSF Center for Single-Entity Nanochemistry and Nanocrystal Design will be a unique scientific resource in the U.S. by creating AI-based capabilities to rapidly explore and pinpoint individual nanocrystals with valuable properties.”
Read more about the CSENND Phase 2 project here.