Language models and protocol standardization guidelines for accelerating synthesis planning in heterogeneous catalysis


Date

2023

Publication Type

Journal Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

Altmetric

Data

Abstract

Synthesis protocol exploration is paramount in catalyst discovery, yet keeping pace with rapid literature advances is increasingly time intensive. Automated synthesis protocol analysis is attractive for swiftly identifying opportunities and informing predictive models, however such applications in heterogeneous catalysis remain limited. In this proof-of-concept, we introduce a transformer model for this task, exemplified using single-atom heterogeneous catalysts (SACs), a rapidly expanding catalyst family. Our model adeptly converts SAC protocols into action sequences, and we use this output to facilitate statistical inference of their synthesis trends and applications, potentially expediting literature review and analysis. We demonstrate the model's adaptability across distinct heterogeneous catalyst families, underscoring its versatility. Finally, our study highlights a critical issue: the lack of standardization in reporting protocols hampers machine-reading capabilities. Embracing digital advances in catalysis demands a shift in data reporting norms, and to this end, we offer guidelines for writing protocols, significantly improving machine-readability. We release our model as an open-source web application, inviting a fresh approach to accelerate heterogeneous catalysis synthesis planning.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

14 (1)

Pages / Article No.

7964

Publisher

Nature

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Heterogenous catalysis; Materials for energy and catalysis

Organisational unit

03871 - Pérez-Ramírez, Javier / Pérez-Ramírez, Javier check_circle

Notes

Funding

180544 - NCCR Catalysis (phase I) (SNF)

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