In molecular chemistry, retrosynthesis succeeds because well-defined fragments assemble under precise kinetic control. Extended inorganic solids present a fundamentally different challenge: their formation is typically driven by bulk thermodynamics, masking the underlying reaction pathways. We are bridging this gap by applying molecular logic to solid-state synthesis.

By utilizing high-temperature molten fluxes as actively reactive media, we depolymerize extended solids into discrete, solvated clusters. Systematically tuning the basicity, temperature, and composition of these fluxes allows us to control the speciation of transient inorganic building blocks. As we track the evolution of these species from isolated motifs to extended macroscopic networks, we directly link solution-state conditions to final crystal topologies. Ultimately, by uncovering how specific coordination environments imprint themselves onto extended materials, we are writing the predictive design rules for solid-state synthesis.

Representative papers: JACS 2025; Angew. Chem. 2023; Nature 2022.

The ability to manipulate extended inorganic networks at the molecular level unlocks new pathways for engineering quantum materials. We utilize synthetic and topochemical methods to precisely tune composition, creating functional "quantum switches" within solid-state lattices. For example, in the layered chalcogenide K_1-xNi₄S₂, we demonstrated the coexistence of Dirac cones and flat bands, achieved entirely without a conventional kagome lattice.

By systematically extracting potassium, we can drive a dramatic phase evolution, transitioning the material from a topological Dirac metal into a flat-band antiferromagnet. This demonstrates how rational compositional tuning unlocks robust, predictive platforms for next-generation quantum materials.

Representative papers: Matter 2026; JACS 2021.