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Nanotechnology solutions for the climate crisis

Nature Nanotechnology volume 19, pages 1422–1426 (2024) Cite this article

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Climate change is one of humankind’s biggest challenges, leading to more frequent and intense climate extremes, including heatwaves, wildfires, hurricanes, ocean acidification, and increased extinction rates. Nanotechnology already plays an important role in decarbonizing critical processes. Still, despite the technical advances seen in the last decades, the International Energy Agency has identified many sectors that are not on track to achieve the global climate mitigation goals by 2030. Here, a multi-stakeholder group of nanoscientists from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors discuss four high-potential application spaces where nanotechnologies could accelerate progress: batteries and energy storage; catalysis; coatings, lubricants, membranes, and other interface technology; and capture of greenhouse gases. This Comment highlights opportunities and current gaps for those working to minimize the climate crisis and provides a framework for the nanotechnology community to answer the call to action on this global issue.

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Fig. 1: Nanotechnologies for climate solutions.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.
Fig. 2: Greenhouse gas emission reduction by sector and potential nanotechnologies to meet 2030 targets.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

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Acknowledgements

This article includes the work of a group that includes employees of US federal agencies or other federal organizations listed under the affiliations: National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, National Institute of Standards and Technology, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Air Force Research Laboratory, US Army Research Laboratory, US Department of Energy, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Science Foundation, however, the statements, opinions, or conclusions contained therein do not necessarily represent the statements, opinions, or conclusions of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, National Institute of Standards and Technology, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Air Force Research Laboratory, US Army Research Laboratory, US Department of Energy, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Science Foundation. Statements and claims cited from commercial websites were not independently validated for accuracy or completeness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Contractor, National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, Alexandria, VA, USA

    Maria Fernanda Campa

  2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA

    Craig M. Brown & James A. Warren

  3. US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Peter Byrley

  4. AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, Alexandria, VA, USA

    Jason Delborne & Joshua E. Porterfield

  5. US Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton, OH, USA

    Nicholas Glavin

  6. Carbice Corporation, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Craig Green

  7. DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD, USA

    Mark Griep

  8. US Department of Energy, Washington DC, USA

    Tina Kaarsberg

  9. US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, MS, USA

    Igor Linkov

  10. The Kavli Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jeffrey B. Miller

  11. National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA, USA

    Birgit Schwenzer

  12. National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, Alexandria, VA, USA

    Quinn Spadola & Branden Brough

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  1. Maria Fernanda Campa
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Branden Brough or James A. Warren.

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Competing interests

C.G. has a financial interest in Carbice Corporation, a provider of aligned carbon nanotube thermal interface solutions for electronic, energy, and industrial products.

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Campa, M.F., Brown, C.M., Byrley, P. et al. Nanotechnology solutions for the climate crisis. Nat. Nanotechnol. 19, 1422–1426 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01772-5

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