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We present a complete open-hardware and software materials acceleration platform (MAP) for sonochemical synthesis of nanocrystals using a versatile tool-changing platform (Jubilee) configured for automated ultrasound application, a liquid-handling robot (Opentrons OT2) and a well-plate spectrometer. An automated high-throughput protocol was developed demonstrating the synthesis of CdSe nanocrystals using sonochemistry and different combinations of sample conditions, including precursor and ligand compositions and concentrations. Cavitation caused by ultrasound fields causes local and transient increases in temperature and pressure sufficient to drive the decomposition of organometallic precursors to drive the chemical reaction leading to nanocrystal formation. A total of 625 unique sample conditions were prepared and analyzed in triplicate with an individual sample volume of as little as 0.5 mL, which drastically reduced chemical waste and experimental times. The rapid onset of cavitation and quick dissipation of energy result in fast nucleation with little nanocrystal growth leading to the formation of small nanocrystals or magic-size clusters (MSCs) depending on composition. Using the effective mass approximation, the calculated QD diameters obtained under all our experimental conditions ranged between 1.3 and 2.1 nm, which was also validated with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Polydispersity, QD shape and optical properties largely varied depending on the concentration of ligands present in solution. Statistical analysis of the spectroscopic data corroborates the qualitative relationships observed from the optical characterization of the samples with the model-agnostic SHAP analysis. The complete workflow relies on relatively low-cost and open-source systems. Automation and the reduced volumes also allow for cost-efficient experimentation, increasing the accessibility of this MAP. The high-throughput capabilities of the automated sonication platform, the extensible nature of the Jubilee system, and the modular nature of the protocol, make the workflow adaptable to a variety of future studies, including other nanocrystal design spaces, emulsification processes, and nanoparticle re-dispersion or exfoliation. 

Although general purpose robotic manipulators are becoming more capable at manipulating various objects, their ability to manipulate millimeter-scale objects are usually limited. On the other hand, ultrasonic levitation devices have been shown to levitate a large range of small objects, from polystyrene balls to living organisms. By controlling the acoustic force fields, ultrasonic levitation devices can compensate for robot manipulator positioning uncertainty and control the grasping force exerted on the target object. The material agnostic nature of acoustic levitation devices and their ability to dexterously manipulate millimeter-scale objects make them appealing as a grasping mode for general purpose robots. In this work, we present an ultrasonic, contact-less manipulation device that can be attached to or picked up by any general purpose robotic arm, enabling millimeter-scale manipulation with little to no modification to the robot itself. This device is capable of performing the very first phase-controlled picking action on acoustically reflective surfaces. With the manipulator placed around the target object, the manipulator can grasp objects smaller in size than the robot's positioning uncertainty, trap the object to resist air currents during robot movement, and dexterously hold a small and fragile object, like a flower bud. Due to the contact-less nature of the ultrasound-based gripper, a camera positioned to look into the cylinder can inspect the object without occlusion, facilitating accurate visual feature extraction.