Using biosourced materials for the future of sustainable green electronics: towards the eco-design of flexible pixels.

Over the past 30 years, electronic components have become an essential part of our everyday lives. An emblematic example of this revolution is the cell phone, with its ability to integrate multiple electronic functions into a single device. But the increased consumption of these electronic devices raises three major questions related to their environmental impact: (i) the sourcing of the materials (sovereignty of countries), (ii) the manufacturing processes for these electronic devices (consumption of energy, water and toxic products) and (iii) the electronic waste (e-waste) generated by this industry (50 million tons per year with only 20% recycled products*).

 

Active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED), also called pixels, framing the most mature Lowtech application of organic electronics, offers solutions to reduce the environmental impact of electronics and in particular for display screen. Display screens hold a privilege place as they are the favourite interface between informatic information and Humans. They present the advantage of using organic materials which are composed of largely earth abundant elements such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. However, extraction and purification of the raw materials use fossil fuels, and the synthesis processes for the active materials also contribute to the environmental impact in terms of power consumption, including the treatment of waste. In addition, the fabrication processes still employ thermal  evaporation technics  which increases  the waste of materials and the ecological impact. Pixels are composed of several electronic devices such as capacitor, transistors and light emitting diodes, themselves composed of substrates, insulator, semiconductors and conductors. From this perspective, they represent the perfect prism to rethink electronics towards the eco-design of flexible pixels.

 

In this presentation, I will introduce the different directions our group took since 2021 for the development of bio-based substrates, insulators, semiconductors and conductors. In particular, I will present our latest results in using (i) a seaweed-based biosubstrate for OLED, and (ii) a bio-based polysaccharide (guar gum) insulator and an industrial lignin bio-waste semiconductor for organic thin film transistors. Finally, as proof of concept, I will show how by doping guar gum we can trigger conductive properties for the fabrication of an audio filter (RC filter).

 

[*] https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/toxics/green-electronics/, consulted on November, the 7th 2024.

 

LE VENDREDI 20 MARS 2026, À 11h00

Bat. Lavoisier, salle 774, 15 rue Jean de Baïf 75013 Paris

Contacts :          Eric Bremond, Nabil Challab, Quentin Lenne, Nawal Serradji et Viacheslav Shkirskiy