In this issue we report on the role nanomaterials will play in a clean tech future.

The brilliant American architect, Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fullerene, most remembered for the geodesic dome buildings he created, including Spaceship Earth at Walt Disney World Epcot Centre, the Eden Project and the Montreal Biosphere, believed human societies would one day rely mainly on renewable sources of energy and he hoped for an age of “omni-successful education and sustenance of all humanity”.

Today, the fullerene molecules that bear his name, so-called Buckminsterfullerenes or Bucky Balls, and other nanomaterials hold massive potential for making this vision a reality.

Richard Smalley, who was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Harold Kroto and Robert Curl for the discovery of Bucky Balls in 1985, was also outspoken about the need for cheap, clean energy, which he described as the number one problem facing humanity in the 21st century. In a 2003 paper entitled “Top ten problems for humanity for the next 50 years”, energy is listed number 1, followed by water, food and the environment. All are inextricably linked.

Our energy demands are constantly increasing as the population grows. As energy usage grows and we continue to pump more and more carbon emissions into the atmosphere, the planet is put under increasing stress. Water availability, food and the environment all suffer the consequences with knock-on effects in many other areas, including the global economy.

Leaders from 192 countries met at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December last year to discuss the impact current energy use is having on the planet and to negotiate steps for change to a more sustainable future.

Much was debated, but, critics have argued an insufficient commitment was made. In fact, the only thing that delegates did seem to eventually agree on was that there is a problem – maybe this is a significant step in itself as those nations who previously buried their heads in the sand and refused to accept climate change was an issue may now begin to take some action.

The first point outlined in the resulting Copenhagen Accord states:

“We underline that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We emphasise our strong political will to urgently combat climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

“To achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, we shall, recognizing the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius, on the basis of equity and in the context of sustainable development, enhance our longterm cooperative action to combat climate change.

“We recognize the critical impacts of climate change and the potential impacts of response measures on countries particularly vulnerable to its adverse effects and stress the need to establish a comprehensive adaptation programme including international support.”

There is little mention in the report of a focus on investment in renewable energy technologies or any commitments for reduced emissions. In fact, the Copenhagen Accord is not even legally binding. This is disappointing when the real need now is for decisive action, investment and targets to be set. The next meeting in 2015 might just be too little too late.

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Advances in nanotechnology and the desperate need for the development of new materials, coatings, fuels and more efficient systems could play a major part in helping nations to reach emission-reduction targets – when they finally agree on what these are. Max Lu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials at the University of Queensland, writes in this issue on the potentials of nanotechnology for the future of sustainable technologies. In his article he says that sustainable energy and associated clean technologies are not only big challenges for the 21st century, they are also great business opportunities globally. He discusses investment and some progress being made in clean tech systems. 

In this issue, we also feature some current research into clean technologies. Colm O'Dwyer from the University of Limerick writes about the role that nanomaterials will play in the next generation of rechargeable batteries. He believes that the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, fully based on nanomaterials, will soon be here, followed by lithium-air batteries and others using organic materials. 

Biofuels could provide a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, but their availability is hampered by the need for cheaper and more reliable production methods. James Palmer from Louisiana Tech writes about new techniques that are being developed to make biofuel production more economically viable. 

One factor that has slowed down the use of nanomaterials in everyday systems is their unreliability in extreme heat, which is a problem in many industrial processes which can involve reaction temperatures exceeding 600 degrees Celsius. Pittsburgh researchers have found a way, by pairing nanoparticles together, of creating metallic nanoparticles capable of tolerating extreme heat. We feature the work in this issue. 

Also featured is an article by R. David Holbrook on the food industry's road toward nanotechnological innovation while Nanoposts analyst, Andy Garland looks at how nanotechnology is being exploited by brand owners as a tool for creating new products. Nigel Hawkins comments on strong political drivers for the development of new clean technologies. 

The brilliant materials scientist, Harold Craighead, is our profiled interview for this issue. Dr Craighead has served as Director of the Nanobiotechnology Center at Cornell since it was established in 2000. His expertise in nanofabrication has also led to the establishment of an Oncology Center, focused on exploring how nanofabrication techniques may help model and treat cancer. Within the Nanobiotechnology Center, nanofabrication and cell growth techniques are also involved in a major project on the study of plants for the production of energy, industrial chemicals and green materials. Dr Craighead speaks to Ottilia Saxl about his work and his belief that success comes from breaking down barriers, and how his research visions today have been influenced by the life sciences. 

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