Dr Michelle Moram of Imperial College London explains what might be possible with the development of a periodic hyper table - and asks us to imagine what materials we could design, with exactly the properties we desire.

More and more scientists are exploring the possibilities of nanoparticles to create novel materials supporting the shift from a fossil fuel based economy towards a sustainable and carbon neutral one. Unfortunately this process is slowed down because people are struggling with the first step: getting the right building blocks.