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A framework for sustainable nanomaterial selection and design based on performance, hazard, and economic considerations

Nature Nanotechnology volume 13, pages 708–714 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and ENM-enabled products have emerged as potentially high-performance replacements to conventional materials and chemicals. As such, there is an urgent need to incorporate environmental and human health objectives into ENM selection and design processes. Here, an adapted framework based on the Ashby material selection strategy is presented as an enhanced selection and design process, which includes functional performance as well as environmental and human health considerations. The utility of this framework is demonstrated through two case studies, the design and selection of antimicrobial substances and conductive polymers, including ENMs, ENM-enabled products and their alternatives. Further, these case studies consider both the comparative efficacy and impacts at two scales: (i) a broad scale, where chemical/material classes are readily compared for primary decision-making, and (ii) within a chemical/material class, where physicochemical properties are manipulated to tailor the desired performance and environmental impact profile. Development and implementation of this framework can inform decision-making for the implementation of ENMs to facilitate promising applications and prevent unintended consequences.

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Fig. 1: Portion of total National Nanotechnology Initiative funding dedicated to environment, health and safety.
Fig. 2: Performance of traditional antimicrobial chemicals and proposed nanomaterial substitutes.
Fig. 3: Co-optimization diagrams for chemical and nano-enabled antimicrobial agents.
Fig. 4: Selection charts for nano-enabled composites of polyaniline.
Fig. 5: Nanomaterial functional performance and embodied energy as a function of physical properties (size and shape).

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Acknowledgements

This publication was developed under Assistance Agreement No. RD83558001 (LCNano) awarded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It has not been formally reviewed by the EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of the authors, and the EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication. This work was also supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (ERC-1449500; NEWT).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Mark M. Falinski, Desiree L. Plata & Julie B. Zimmerman

  2. Institute for Environmental Science and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Shauhrat S. Chopra & Thomas L. Theis

  3. School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Shauhrat S. Chopra

  4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Leanne M. Gilbertson

  5. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Julie B. Zimmerman

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  1. Mark M. Falinski
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  5. Leanne M. Gilbertson
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Contributions

M.M.F., J.B.Z., D.L.P. and L.M.G. conceived and designed the reimagined framework. M.M.F. and S.S.C. performed the experiments and collected data. M.M.F. and S.S.C. analysed the data. M.M.F., S.S.C. and T.L.T. contributed materials/analysis tools. M.M.F., D.L.P., L.M.G. and J.B.Z. co-wrote the paper. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julie B. Zimmerman.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Supplementary Information

Supplementary Text, Supplementary Figure 1, Supplementary Tables 1–15

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Falinski, M.M., Plata, D.L., Chopra, S.S. et al. A framework for sustainable nanomaterial selection and design based on performance, hazard, and economic considerations. Nature Nanotech 13, 708–714 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0120-4

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