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ENVIRONMENTAL NANOTECHNOLOGY

Sustainable nanomaterials by design

Nature Nanotechnology volume 13, pages 621–623 (2018)Cite this article

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A new material selection tool offers a proactive perspective on nanotechnology research and development.

From high-efficiency solar cells and lightweight lithium-ion batteries to innovations in water treatment, environmental remediation and agricultural efficiency, harnessing the unique chemical and physical properties of engineered nanomaterials can greatly enhance technologies intended to solve global sustainability challenges. However, the same unique attributes that give nanomaterials their technical edge may also confer the potential for unforeseen environmental, economic and social risks1. Historically, these trade-offs have been identified only after a material is already in use, as researchers lack screening tools to proactively compare how nano-enabled performance benefits stack up against sustainability concerns such as material price, carbon footprint, resource scarcity, ecotoxicity or human health effects2. Writing in Nature Nanotechnology, Mark Falinski and colleagues3 address this challenge by introducing a nanomaterial selection tool adapted from material selection charts originally created by Michael Ashby4.

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Fig. 1: A traditional material selection chart.
Fig. 2: A conceptual model of the techno-ecological dimensions of sustainable nanomaterial selection and use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA

    Callie W. Babbitt & Elizabeth A. Moore

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  1. Callie W. Babbitt
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  2. Elizabeth A. Moore
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Correspondence to Callie W. Babbitt.

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Babbitt, C.W., Moore, E.A. Sustainable nanomaterials by design. Nature Nanotech 13, 621–623 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0235-7

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