April 26, 2021
Our exciting results on printing recyclable electronics from all-carbon-based inks have been published in Nature Electronics. Change starts with important discoveries, and Dr. Nick Williams (recent PhD from Franklin group) had several in the excellent work he did for this project. We demonstrate some of the highest performance thin-film transistors ever to be printed on paper substrates, all from carbon-based electronic inks: semiconducting carbon nanotubes, conducting graphene, and insulating nanocellulose (an extract from wood fiber). The devices are stable for months, operate at low voltages, and then are recyclable -- we reclaim and reuse the constituent nanomaterials for more printed electronics. With electronic waste (e-waste) literally piling up, these results open the way for incredible possibilities for the internet-of-things (IoT) future.
Links to news coverage about the work:
Nature Electronics: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-021-00578-w
IEEE Spectrum: https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/devices/electronics-printed-on-paper-can-be-fully-recycled
Duke: https://ece.duke.edu/about/news/researchers-demonstrate-fully-recyclable-printed-electronics
Physics World: https://physicsworld.com/a/carbon-based-inks-make-first-fully-recyclable...
Electronic Design: https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/analog/article/21168207/electronic-design-look-out-siliconthese-printable-electronics-are-fully-recyclable
Engineering.com: https://www.engineering.com/story/could-fully-recyclable-electronics-be-on-the-horizon
Tech Xplore: https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-fully-recyclable-electronics.html
Electronics 360: https://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/16641/first-fully-recyclab...
New Atlas: https://newatlas.com/electronics/worlds-first-fully-recyclable-printed-t...
Slash Gear: https://www.slashgear.com/this-printable-transistor-is-completely-recycl...
EurekAlert: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-04/du-rdf042221.php
Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210426140908.htm
Fuentitech: https://fuentitech.com/engineers-have-developed-the-worlds-first-fully-r...
Industry Update: https://industry-update.com/engineers-have-developed-the-worlds-first-fu...
USA News Lab: https://usanewslab.com/science/the-world-first-printable-transistor-is-f...
Nano.gov: https://www.nano.gov/node/3675
3D Adept Media: https://3dadept.com/its-possible-to-produce-fully-recyclable-printed-ele...