Nanotech must go green to stay ahead

For nanotechnology to move forward - scientists need to consider the advantages of “green” chemistry according to a leading US nanotechnologist.

DNA translocating through a solid-state nanopore (artisitc rendering by Tremani). Nanotech could provide many innovative solutions – but it should be developed in an eco-friendly way.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science last month, James E. Hutchison, a professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon, said: “Around the world, there is a growing urgency about nanotechnology and its possible health and environmental impacts.”

The field of nanoscience, he reasoned, is still in the discovery phase, in which new materials are being synthesised for testing for very specific physical properties. During such work, there often are unintended properties of material that potentially can be hazardous to the environment or human health but are, for now, an acceptable risk in secured research environments.

Scientists need to take a proactive approach to advancing from the current discovery phase in the creation of nanomaterials into a production phase that is efficient and reduces waste, he said.

Hutchison is a leading U.S. innovator in nanofabrication and assembly processes and is a pioneer in the use of green chemistry - the use of chemical technologies that reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and use of chemical products.

“Green chemistry allows us to think about new space and new parameters,” Hutchison said. “We have the opportunity to develop the technology correctly from the beginning, rather than trying to rework and entrenched technology.
“We should commit ourselves to design these materials and processes to be green from the beginning, and this will provide a lot of freedom from layers of regulation to researchers and companies, allowing for more innovation.”