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Nanotechnology and clean energy: sustainable utilization and supply of critical materials

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Abstract

Advances in nanoscale science and engineering suggest that many of the current problems involving the sustainable utilization and supply of critical materials in clean and renewable energy technologies could be addressed using (i) nanostructured materials with enhanced electronic, optical, magnetic and catalytic properties and (ii) nanotechnology-based separation materials and systems that can recover critical materials from non-traditional sources including mine tailings, industrial wastewater and electronic wastes with minimum environmental impact. This article discusses the utilization of nanotechnology to improve or achieve materials sustainability for energy generation, conversion and storage. We highlight recent advances and discuss opportunities of utilizing nanotechnology to address materials sustainability for clean and renewable energy technologies.

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Acknowledgments

Neil A. Fromer thanks the Resnick Sustainability Institute, as well as the LMI-EFRC, Rod Eggert, and Jack Lifton and the other attendees of the Resnick Institute critical materials workshop for helpful discussions. Mamadou Diallo thanks the EEWS Initiative (Grant # NT080607C0209721), the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) [MEST grant No. 2012M1A2A2026588] and the National Science Foundation (NSF) of United States [CBET grants 0948485 and 0506951] for funding his research on sustainable chemistry, engineering and materials (SusChEM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Resnick Sustainability Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Neil A. Fromer

  2. Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Water and Sustainability (EEWS), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 373-1 Guseong Dong, Yuseong Gu, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea

    Mamadou S. Diallo

  3. Environmental Engineering and Science, Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Mamadou S. Diallo

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  1. Neil A. Fromer
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Correspondence to Mamadou S. Diallo.

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Special Issue Editors: Mamadou Diallo, Neil Fromer, Myung S. Jhon

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Nanotechnology for Sustainable Development

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Fromer, N.A., Diallo, M.S. Nanotechnology and clean energy: sustainable utilization and supply of critical materials. J Nanopart Res 15, 2011 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-2011-9

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