We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Assessing the Sustainability of Energy-Related Nanomaterial Synthesis: Emphasizing the Need for Energy-Efficient Nanomaterial Preparation Techniques
Summary
This review highlights a frequently overlooked issue in nanomaterial research: the energy consumed during synthesis processes is rarely accounted for when evaluating sustainability. While nanomaterials are widely used in energy applications, their production methods can be energy-intensive, potentially undermining their environmental benefits. The authors recommend adopting energy-efficient synthesis techniques to ensure holistic sustainability in nanomaterial-based energy technologies.
Sustainable energy has always been the top-priority research discussion, and nanomaterials in energy applications have facilitated the achievement of this goal. For the first time, this review highlights the subtle, overlooked, unaccounted expenditure of energy going into nanomaterial synthesis. In the present article, we give a brief overview of the various nanomaterials used in energy applications and present their general synthesis methods. The lack of data/information on the energy expended on nanomaterial synthesis has been critically pointed out. The alternative, energy-saving, energy-efficient methods, considering sustainability even at the nanomaterial synthesis level, have been put forth as recommendations. This article aims at creating an awareness towards planning of holistic sustainable energy-efficient nanomaterial synthesis processes that will conserve energy. The question projected is: what is the purpose of losing energy during synthesis of energy producing and energy storing nanomaterials?
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Potencial de los nanomateriales en la agricultura: retos y oportunidades
This review examines the potential of nanomaterials in agriculture, discussing how nanoscience and nanotechnology can improve practices from seed germination and crop cultivation through to harvest and storage, with a focus on sustainable applications. The authors highlight both opportunities and challenges of integrating nanomaterials into agricultural systems under the pressures of climate change and growing food demand.
Analysis of microplastics and nanoplastics: How green are the methodologies used?
This review evaluated the environmental footprint of the analytical methods used to study microplastics and nanoplastics, finding that many standard protocols rely on hazardous chemicals and high energy use, and recommending greener methodological alternatives.
Nano-biotechnology, an applicable approach for sustainable future
Researchers reviewed how nanobiotechnology—combining nanotechnology with biological systems—has improved efficiency across medical drug delivery, environmental remediation, agricultural applications, and industrial enzyme processes, with nano-scale materials enabling precision and reduced side effects compared to conventional methods.
How to improve crop photosynthesis more efficiently using nanomaterials: Lessons from a meta-analysis
Researchers analyzed dozens of studies and found that applying nanomaterials to crops can boost photosynthesis — the process plants use to grow — especially under drought and salt stress conditions, though they caution that lab results may not always translate to real farm fields and that nanoplastics in the soil can reduce these benefits.
Nanoscale materials at work: Mapping emerging applications in energy, medicine, and beyond
This report maps emerging trends in nanoscale materials research by analyzing roughly 3 million scientific publications using natural language processing. Researchers identified 279 emerging topics spanning drug delivery, sensors, energy, and catalysis applications. The study provides a broad overview of how nanotechnology is evolving, including its intersection with environmental concerns like microplastic pollution and sustainable material development.