Dr. Jason Stafford, a researcher at the School of Engineering, designed the system to foster highly controlled reaction environments, streamlining the extensive time traditionally required for material production in labs.

This benchtop unit is fully automated and supports parallel synthesis, enabling the creation of diverse materials through minor variations in the process, thus providing a broad range of advanced materials or product formulations for further exploration and refinement.

Traditional methods for crafting materials with exceptional properties, such as 2D materials, involve either mechanically peeling off atom layers or incrementally building up materials atom by atom. These methods are often cumbersome, involving numerous steps and relying heavily on a vast array of precursors, slowing down research and development of new products.

Dr. Stafford's invention leverages mechanochemical synthesis, which utilizes mechanical forces to initiate chemical reactions, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for harmful solvents. The device is compatible with standard lab glassware or specially designed containers and can be set to apply distinct mechanical forces to each, containing various substances from light liquid suspensions to dense solid powders.

Dr. Stafford believes this new technique will capture the interest of professionals in chemical manufacturing and advanced materials design, as well as those in drug discovery and other lab-based research sectors looking to convert their findings into eco-friendly production practices.

He commented, "There is a massive and ever-growing library of specialized 2D materials that have not reached mainstream applications, yet researchers are spending up to half of their time ensuring synthesis steps are performed repeatedly, and correctly. The automated platform can significantly reduce the time and expertise required in these processes, and free up scientists to focus on the core aspects of their research in materials discovery."

Dr. Stafford holds the title of Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham, focusing on thermofluids, multiphase flows, and mechanochemical processing. He is a co-inventor of 20 patents and the principal inventor on a patent application submitted by University of Birmingham Enterprise for this new method of processing 2D and nanomaterials.

He will be present at the Advanced Materials Show and ChemExpo2024 from May 15 to 16, at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre.

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