Sustainable Nanotechnology

2 The Road to Sustainable Nanotechnology: Challenges, Progress, and Opportunities

Sunita Chaudhary¹, Nishith Patel¹, and Jayvadan Patel²

¹ Arihant School of Pharmacy and Bio-Research Institute, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

² Nootan Pharmacy College, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat, India

2.1 Introduction

Advances in nanotechnology are generating novel nanomaterials (NMs) with extraordinary characteristics that can enrich and enhance the applicability of NMs in various sectors. As new uses are being explored on a daily basis in various diversified areas such as medicine, agriculture, automotive, and energy, it poses numerous challenges to environmental sustainability [1]. Application of NMs are improving energy conservation and increasing efficiency, productivity and profits of industrial and health sectors with lower environmental impact [2]. Using NMs in current technology can improve economic and environmental aspects with various applications. Simultaneously, it is accepted that the use of NMs increases the various challenges in human safety and regulations in various countries [3].

In 2011, a group of researchers, students, and government staff from a multidisciplinary area came together to check the effect of science and engineering on developing a new path with sustainable future. This panel of scientists had done research on nanotechnology and correlated it to various aspects of sustainability such as society, environment, and economy [4]. The Sustainable ...