Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office

RecommendationsN ano4EARTH, the National Nanotechnology Challenge, 1 was established to mobilize the nanotechnology community to accelerate the development, scale-up, and adoption of technologies addressing critical energy resiliency and security challenges.This innovation nexus strives toward a grid in which electricity is optimally generated, stored with minimal losses, and intelligently delivered based on relative demand, which we refer to as the Resilient Smart Grid (RSG).The Nano4EARTH community recognizes the crucial role that two-dimensional (2D) materials may play to enable the RSG; thus, this Energy Focus highlights advancements, challenges, and opportunities related to 2D material utilization for energy generation, storage, transmission, and distribution that support grid efficiency and energy security. 2D Materials as a Technology EnablerNanotechnology can play a key role in advancing efficiency and resilience in our energy infrastructure. 12D materials, which include graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), MXenes, and other compounds in either single layer, multilayer, or composite form, often exhibit exceptional electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties due to their atomic-or nanoscale thickness and unique electronic structures compared to the corresponding bulk materials.Energy conversion technologies, including photovoltaics, fuel cells (mixed ion-electron conductors), and thermoelectrics, represent ideal candidates for 2D material integration because of the potential to improve integration and energy conversion efficiency.Likewise, energy storage technologies, such as batteries (ion-intercalation materials), or hydrogen storage technologies (metal hydrides), present unique opportunities for inexpensive chemistries, enhanced capacity, and extended cycle life.Energy transmission and distribution efficiencies could be increased by integrating 2D material into smart nanosensors and advanced materials for reconductoring power lines.In addition to these technologies, RDT&E efforts are needed to accelerate 2D material manufacturing at-scale and build industry trust in technologies enabled by 2D materials via rapid integration with current infrastructure.Life cycle assessment (LCA) can also help rationally select new materials.Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E), LCA, and other tools demonstrating the advantages of nanomaterials are discussed in more detail below. Energy GenerationAdvanced Photovoltaics.2D materials may enable the next generation of photovoltaic (PV) systems in the form of

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) aims to improve the efficiency, productivity, environmental impact, and competitiveness of the manufacturing sector. Education and workforce development (EWD) efforts are essential for AMMTO to achieve these goals, and for this reason the current and future EWD landscape in the critical minerals and materials (CMM) sector requires renewed attention. To better understand the existing CMM EWD efforts and prepare for future needs, AMMTO hosted a workshop on April 19, 2023. Stakeholders from industry, academia, state and local government, non-governmental organizations, and across DOE assembled to discuss the gaps in and barriers to existing EWD initiatives, opportunities for new or improved EWD efforts, and recommendations for solutions that can be best supported and promoted by AMMTO on behalf of the entire CMM sector.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE's) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) sponsored and hosted a two-day workshop focused on near net shape (NNS) manufacturing innovation on Nov. 3–4, 2022 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The objective of this workshop was to convene industry leaders to gather information in support of a congressional briefing on the technical and economic viability of producing large metallic NNS components in the United States, as directed by the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill of 2023. The bill directed AMMTO, in collaboration with the Office of Nuclear Energy, the Wind Energy Technologies Office, and the Water Power Technologies Office, to provide a briefing to Congress on the potential for developing and commercializing novel manufacturing processes for producing large NNS metallic components, including but not limited to those traditionally fabricated using large castings and forgings. This event brought together 57 attendees from organizations representing large industries, small and medium manufacturers (SMMs), federal agencies, and industrial and government research laboratories. This wide-ranging group of stakeholders participated in three breakout sessions, each consisting of two-to-three parallel tracks to run highly interactive discussions. The takeaways of these discussions and participants’ written responses to the pre-workshop questions during breakout sessions were synthesized to identify key takeaways, systematically summarize the contents of these responses, and develop specific recommendations and calls for actions. These outcomes and recommendations are summarized in the following report.