The goal of this project is to democratize access to chemical and materials science through Matter-Design, a Streamlit-based interactive web application built to educate students about the design, visualization, and analysis of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). This platform lowers barriers to entry by enabling students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, to engage in computational chemical and material research using any device. Built using Streamlit, Matter-Design integrates tools such as PORMAKE for MOF construction, PyMOL and py3Dmol for 3D visualization, and Mofography, an advanced computational characterization tool developed in our group, for comprehensive pore network analysis. As an integrated platform for both education and research, our web app offers simple mode for beginners with emphasis on MOF visualization and introduction, as well as the advanced mode for research-grade MOF design and analysis. A built-in leaderboard ranks user-designed MOFs by structural properties, which encourages exploration and engagement of students across the world. The project has strong potential as an accessible platform for education in the realm of chemical and materials science. It integrates the use of a large language model in order to streamline the teaching process. Future work will focus on refining user experience, expanding the materials database beyond MOFs. Ultimately, Matter-Design aims to bring curiosity, inclusivity, and innovation to young materials-science learners by making computational design tools available to anyone with an internet connection.
