If it is up to researchers from Linz and Italy, the wood component lignin will be part of innovative electronic components in the future. In a study published in the journal “Advanced Sustainable Systems”, the scientists show that the residue from the paper industry is suitable for the production of transistors “in light, flexible and portable devices such as tablets or mobile phones”.
The researchers at the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Linz have been working on the idea of bringing “materials obtained more or less directly from nature” into electronics for about ten years, explains Mihai Irimia-Vladu, one of the the main authors of the study. These can be carrier materials for computer chips, weak or non-conductive materials (dielectrics) or other necessary connections.
Natural source for electronic parts
Lignin belongs to the group of promising dielectrics from natural sources. It accumulates when splitting wood in the paper industry. The substance that causes the structures in plant cell walls to lignify makes up about 20 to 30 percent of the wood. Without lignin, the cellulose would be very soft. Approximately 80 million tons of lignin is produced as waste in industry worldwide every year.
To protect the environment and resources, this wood component, which until now has mostly been burned due to a lack of alternatives, is currently the focus of scientists. Lignin-based materials will replace components from fossil raw materials such as crude oil in the future. The fact that it is an abundant waste product also makes lignin particularly interesting for the electronics industry, emphasizes Irimia-Vladu.
The team led by Alessandra Operamolla, which also included scientists from the Universities of Parma and Bari (both in Italy), simply ordered the raw material from a chemical supplier as part of their research. This produced two “lignin versions” – L1 and L2. The researchers then analyzed the compounds using modern research methods, presenting L1 as more promising.
First step
Although it has not yet been possible within the framework of the project to develop the “perfect manufacturing method”, which paves the way for the use of the material in high-performance electronics, a first, important step has been taken. The researchers were able to demonstrate that their lignin formulations can be used in transistors, explains Irimia-Vladu: “In the next step, we will purify the material using very simple chemical processes so that we can use it for real high-performance electronics. is our vision.”
Lignin will act as an insulator in the transistors. This part of the structure “produces electrical charges for the semiconductor,” the Linz researcher explained. The task now is to make the lignin components smaller and produce electronic components that operate at very low electrical voltages. It is therefore about electronics that are as energy efficient as possible and are made from raw materials that are as sustainable as possible – “a really ‘green approach’, in other words”, according to Irimia-Vladu.
Source: Krone
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