science.materials.search
Search 150,000+ inorganic materials by chemical formula, elements, band gap, stability, or metallic character. Returns DFT-computed properties: band gap, formation energy, density, crystal system. Filter semiconductors (band_gap 1-3 eV), stable battery cathodes (elements Li,Fe,O + is_stable), or ...
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/science.materials.search.md
What science.materials.search does on Apibase
AI agents call science.materials.search to retrieve information from Apibase without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
skip | integer | — | Offset for pagination |
limit | integer | — | Max results (1-50, default 10) |
formula | string | — | Chemical formula to search (e.g. "Si", "Fe2O3", "LiFePO4"). Exact or reduced formula |
elements | string | — | Comma-separated elements to filter (e.g. "Li,Fe,O" — returns materials containing these elements) |
is_metal | boolean | — | Filter for metals (true) or non-metals (false) |
is_stable | boolean | — | Filter for thermodynamically stable materials only (energy_above_hull = 0) |
band_gap_max | number | — | Maximum band gap in eV (e.g. 3.0). Use with band_gap_min for range filter |
band_gap_min | number | — | Minimum band gap in eV (e.g. 1.0). Use with band_gap_max for range filter |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why science.materials.search is rated Low
Tool retrieves and queries materials database with no side effects or data modifications.
From the tool's definition Search 150,000+ inorganic materials, Returns DFT-computed properties
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs science.materials.search safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Apibase, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For science.materials.search, this is the rule to start with:
science.materials.search is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Apibase, apply this rule, and every science.materials.search call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about science.materials.search
Search 150,000+ inorganic materials by chemical formula, elements, band gap, stability, or metallic character. Returns DFT-computed properties: band gap, formation energy, density, crystal system. Filter semiconductors (band_gap 1-3 eV), stable battery cathodes (elements Li,Fe,O + is_stable), or metals. DOE/Lawrence Berkeley Lab data, CC BY 4.0 (Materials Project). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Apibase MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
science.materials.search accepts 8 parameters: skip, limit, formula, elements, is_metal, is_stable, band_gap_max, band_gap_min. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Apibase MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for science.materials.search: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Apibase. Nothing to install.
science.materials.search is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the science.materials.search rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for science.materials.search. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
science.materials.search is provided by the Apibase MCP server (apibase-mcp-client). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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