New approaches to discovering as yet unimagined matter require a sea change in the way we think about the science of synthesis.
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Advances in synthesis science are required to bring about this future-we not only must know how to design new molecules and materials with desired functions and properties through theory and computational techniques we also must be able to make the materials we envision. What if the only limit to synthesizing new forms of matter were the imagination? We could build complex assemblies of atoms and molecules with architectures and capabilities far exceeding those of materials found in nature-for example, develop catalysts that turn garbage into fuels, design solar cells to power our homes directly from sunlight, more » make batteries with the energy density of gasoline, and create one- and two-dimensional solids that transport charge hundreds of times faster than silicon or allow us to build quantum bits based on the spins of electrons or photons to realize the promise of “beyond Moore’s law” computing. Now imagine what our world would be like if we could accelerate those discoveries a thousandfold. None of these advances would have been possible without the discovery and development of, and ability to create, new materials and chemical processes. Novel polymers and nanoparticles are playing a crucial role in enhanced oil recovery. LED lighting and solar panels are becoming commonplace, replacing less efficient technologies and expanding the energy options available worldwide. Cars are ever more fuel-efficient, safer, semi-autonomous, and have more computing power than the systems that guided humankind to the moon. Smartphones connect us instantly to family, friends, and co-workers around the globe give us access to a limitless stream of information control the heating in our homes and serve as our cameras, calculators, flashlights, music players, boarding passes and, on occasion, our phones. The technology that lies at our fingertips becomes more powerful each day.