Greener nanoscience: a proactive approach to advancing applications and reducing implications of nanotechnology

Nanotechnology continues to offer new materials and applications that will benefit society, yet there is growing concern about the potential health and environmental impacts of production and use of nanoscale products. Although hundreds of studies of nanomaterial hazards have been reported, due (largely) to the complexity of the nanomaterials, there is no consensus about the impact these hazards will have. This Focus describes the need for a research agenda that addresses these nanomaterial complexities through coordinated research on the applications and implications of new materials, wherein nanomaterials scientists play a central role as we move from understanding to minimizing nanomaterial hazards. Greener nanoscience is presented as an approach to determining and implementing the design rules for safer nanomaterials and safer, more efficient processes.