Materials faculty receive over $830,000 in NSF Awards

By Elizabeth Egan

The DMREF program supports materials design and development through the integration of experiments, computation and data-driven methods, while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and training in the materials research and development workforce.

As a part of their projects, Reyes will work on building the next generation of self-driving robotic labs for rapid nanomaterial discovery, and Wodo will explore bioelectronic materials capable of communicating with the human nervous system.

“These awards align perfectly with the MDI department’s vision of integrating machine learning, materials science, and autonomous discovery,” said Wodo. “It is deeply satisfying to see two prestigious awards come to MDI during its 10th anniversary, marking a milestone in our journey.”

With a $480,000 award, Reyes’ lab, the Computational and Statistical Material Science (CSMS) Lab, will work to accelerate the discovery of sustainable semiconductor materials by developing self-driving robotic laboratories (SDLs) and the artificial intelligence and math methods that drive them.

Reyes has studied self-driving labs since he was a postdoctoral associate at Princeton University, where he became interested in the combination of experimental science, theoretical science and the machine learning needed to drive the labs.

“There are large-scale computations needed to drive the AI that is necessary for self-driving labs to make optimal decisions, orchestrate and coordinate actions between different labs, and integrate a heterogeneous set of data,” said Reyes. “We will have to design new algorithms to do this efficiently.”

According to Reyes, the production of solution-processable semiconductor materials has the potential to revolutionize emerging technologies in electronics and quantum engineering technologies, enabling scalable, cost-effective manufacturing methods. Metal halide perovskite nanocrystals exhibit properties best suited for advanced technological applications. However, Reyes says their widespread adoption faces limitations due to the presence of heavy metals, such as lead.

The project aims to accelerate discovery of high-performance, lead-free perovskite nanocrystals through the integration of high-throughput experimentation, artificial intelligence and advanced data-sharing strategies across multiple institutions.

By establishing networked SDLs equipped with automated flow chemistry systems, adaptive machine learning algorithms, and federated data-sharing frameworks, Reyes and his team hope to reduce discovery timelines from years to a few weeks.

Through the project, the team will also generate AI-ready open datasets and new training programs to prepare the next generation of researchers in autonomous science and promote participation in innovative STEM careers.

Reyes added that he is organizing a consortium of researchers at the University at Buffalo around the topic of self-driving robotic laboratories and autonomous sciences, and he is starting a seminar series to bring in experts in the field from around the country. Reyes welcomes participation from anyone who is interested in joining the field.

The award is part of a larger effort with multiple researchers from North Carolina State University and Brown University. Milad Abolhasani, Alcoa Professor and University Faculty Scholar in NC State’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is the lead principal investigator.

With a $350,000 grant, Wodo will work to create materials that can seamlessly connect with the human nervous system in order to pave the way for advancements in bioelectronics.

The materials, known as organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs), will be designed to efficiently conduct electricity and ions and are crucial for developing improved brain-computer interfaces, therapies for neurological conditions, and more energy efficient computing, all inspired by the human brain.

“For the past 15 years, my research has focused on organic electronics, and bioelectronics is a natural extension of that work,” said Wodo. “As our understanding of morphology in organic electronics deepened, exploring mixed transport became both a logical and exciting next step, especially given their potential across a wide range of applications.”

The project has the potential to lead to breakthroughs in health care, human-AI interaction computing and robotics. Practical applications could include next-generation cognitive wearables, early disease detection, biofeedback-driven prosthetics and brain to computer interfaces for neurological therapy.

“These applications leverage the unique properties of organic ion-electron mixed conductor devices to enable low-power, adaptive, and biocompatible technologies across health care and intelligent systems,” said Wodo.

The award is part of a larger effort with multiple researchers from NC State and the German Research Foundation, the German counterpart of the NSF. Aram Amassian, professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NC State, is the lead principal investigator.

Wodo and the team will combine advanced computer modeling, machine learning, and autonomous experimentation to create materials that are electronically adjustable, safe for use in the body, durable, and manufacturable at scale.

A key focus of the project will be training a new generation of scientists and engineers in AI-driven materials design through workshops and public outreach events, including science museum demonstrations.