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Updated: Aug 1, 2026
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Synthesis and Functionalization of 3D Nano-graphene Materials: Graphene Aerogels and Graphene Macro Assemblies
Published on: November 5, 2015
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The safe and sustainable by design framework applied to graphene-based materials
Fiorella Pitaro1, Stefan Seeger2, Bernd Nowack3
1Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Technology & Society Laboratory, St. Gallen, Switzerland; University of Zürich, Department of Chemistry, Zürich, Switzerland.
Environment International
|March 13, 2025
Summary
The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework offers a structured approach for evaluating chemicals and materials. This study on graphene demonstrates its feasibility for assessing material safety and sustainability across multiple applications.
Area of Science:
- Chemical safety and material science
- Sustainable innovation frameworks
- Lifecycle assessment methodologies
Background:
- The global imperative for sustainable and toxic-free chemicals necessitates integrating safety and sustainability throughout material lifecycles.
- The European Commission's Joint Research Centre developed the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework to guide chemical and material innovation.
- Existing frameworks often lack comprehensive lifecycle integration for novel materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the opportunities and challenges of applying the SSbD framework to graphene-based materials.
- To assess the feasibility of the SSbD framework for materials, particularly for absolute (non-comparative) assessments.
- To evaluate the SSbD framework's potential for assessing materials across multiple applications.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of SSbD Steps 1-4 using existing literature data for graphene-based materials.
- Assessment of the SSbD framework's applicability to materials.
- Evaluation of the potential for absolute safety and sustainability assessment across diverse material uses.
Main Results:
- The SSbD framework provides a structured and adaptable method for evaluating chemical and material safety and sustainability.
- Challenges exist for materials due to limited applicable models and tools, impacting comprehensive assessment.
- High Technology Readiness Level (TRL) materials like graphene possess sufficient data for robust SSbD evaluation across multiple applications.
Conclusions:
- The SSbD framework is a viable approach for assessing material safety and sustainability, with potential for absolute evaluation.
- Further guidance on interpreting SSbD results and scores is needed to facilitate absolute assessments and optimize effort.
- This case study offers practical insights for SSbD framework users and contributes to its ongoing refinement for materials innovation.
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