Switching irradiation-induced defects could also be practical. In principle, irradiation-induced defects in the water lattice can be manipulated through changing the types of irradiation and their intensity (Fig ). Hence, our concepts of switchable defects provide a novel bottom-up approach for controlling gas enclathration in the solid water lattice for energy storage and CO 2 sequestration applications. Locking gas in ice for energy storage or CO 2 sequestration: The majority of literature reports on gas hydrate formation in liquid water. Without capable measures, gas enclathration in ice is slow and cannot compete with that in liquid water. However, using ice as a starting material has an advantage in terms of simplicity. Besides, using natural ice or snow as the feedstock is a further advantage since it eliminates the energy costs associated with the crystallization of liquid water. Defect engineering provides a pathway for enabling the feasible kinetics of gas enclathration in doped ice to unlock the potential of gas hydrates as a novel means of energy storage and CO 2 sequestration ( Fig 10).