pymatgen-io

Parse CIF, XYZ, and Gaussian files into pymatgen structures.

16|Updated Dec 28, 2025
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/Hongyu-yu/matsci-ai-skills --skill pymatgen-io
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: pymatgen-io
Source: https://github.com/Hongyu-yu/matsci-ai-skills/tree/main/skills/pymatgen-io
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/Hongyu-yu/matsci-ai-skills --skill pymatgen-io

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires pymatgen, and includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Non-VASP IO tasks in materials science workflows are scattered across formats and codes; this skill centralizes CIF/XYZ/Gaussian/OpenBabel IO and adapters to CP2K, QE, Q-Chem, ABINIT, LAMMPS, FEFF, NWChem, Wannier90, phonopy, ShengBTE, etc., enabling easier data exchange.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • IO for CIF, XYZ, Gaussian, and adapters (ASE/OpenBabel when installed).
  • Interfaces to non-VASP codes: Q-Chem, CP2K, Quantum Espresso (QE), ABINIT, LAMMPS, FEFF, NWChem, Wannier90.
  • Convert external formats to pymatgen Structure or Molecule objects.
  • Use cases include reading online structure data via Materials Project and converting formats for simulation pipelines.

Quick Start

Install pymatgen and begin parsing CIF/XYZ/Gaussian files with the appropriate pymatgen.io modules to obtain Structure or Molecule objects.

Frequently Asked Questions about pymatgen-io

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I convert CIF and XYZ files to pymatgen Structure or Molecule objects?

You convert CIF and XYZ files by using the pymatgen.io.cif and pymatgen.io.xyz modules to parse the formats directly into pymatgen Structure or Molecule objects for simulation pipelines.

Can I parse Gaussian output files using pymatgen?

Yes, you can parse Gaussian output files using the pymatgen.gaussian module, which translates the computational chemistry format into standard pymatgen Molecule objects and associated data structures.

Does pymatgen support file IO and format conversion for LAMMPS and Quantum Espresso?

Yes, pymatgen supports non-VASP file IO and format conversion for LAMMPS and Quantum Espresso through specific adapters, enabling data exchange between these codes and pymatgen structures.

What's the best way to interface Materials Project structures with Q-Chem or ABINIT?

The best way to interface Materials Project structures with Q-Chem or ABINIT is using pymatgen adapters, which convert online structure data into the required input formats for these simulation codes.

Do I need a specific Python environment setup to use pymatgen IO modules?

You need a Python environment with the pymatgen package installed to use the IO modules, and optionally ASE or OpenBabel if your workflow requires those specific adapter functionalities.

Why does this toolkit focus only on non-VASP file formats and adapters?

This toolkit focuses on non-VASP formats like CIF, XYZ, and Gaussian, along with adapters for CP2K, QE, and LAMMPS, because it centralizes scattered materials science data exchange tasks that are not covered by native VASP IO.