TAGS: Inks Sustainability / Natural Coatings
Linköping University researchers develop an eco-friendly method to make conductive inks. These inks are used in organic electronics. Organic electronics include solar cells, artificial neurons and soft sensors.
Sustainable Processing of Conjugated Polymers
Organic electronics are in some cases, a replacement to traditional silicon-based electronics. Organic electronics are built from semiconducting plastics, known as conjugated polymers. However, processing conjugated polymers often requires environmentally hazardous, toxic and flammable solvents. This is an obstacle to the commercial and sustainable use of organic electronics.
Researchers have developed a new sustainable method for processing these polymers from water. In addition to being more sustainable, the new inks are also highly conductive.
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Our research introduces a new approach to processing conjugated polymers. It uses benign solvents like water. The method is called ground-state electron transfer. We can get around the problem of using hazardous chemicals. We can also show improvements in materials and device performance,” said Simone Fabiano. He is a senior associate professor at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics.
Researchers tested the new conductive ink. They used it as a transport layer in organic solar cells. They found that both stability and efficiency were higher than with traditional materials. They also tested the ink to create electrochemical transistors. They demonstrated that the operating frequencies are similar to biological neurons.
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These results can have a transformative impact on the field of organic electronics,” said Simone Fabiano. He is a Wallenberg academy fellow. “
We can use green and sustainable solvents, like water. They enable processing of organic semiconductors. This can mass-produce electronic devices with minimal impact on the environment.”
Source: Linköping University