Nanocellulose as Sustainable Replacement for Plastic Substrates in Printed Electronics Applications

Abstract

The concepts of IoT, AI, I4.0, and 6G provide amazing opportunities for improving our quality of living, but also require tremendous amounts of data to operate as envisioned. To fulfil this demand for information, a large number of sensors and sensing devices is needed. Evolving sensing capabilities are associated with an increasing amount of electronic and plastic waste, which is rapidly becoming one of the major problems of our society. This research utilizes printed electronics as a method that is capable of fabricating high volumes of sensors to fulfil the requirements of emerging technologies. This study introduces printed environmentally friendly (carbon and water-based inks) conductive electrodes that could serve as vital signals’ sensors. Our results indicate that replacement of PET substrates with biodegradable nanocellulose increases the reliability of the printed electrodes, thanks to ink penetration into the nanocellulose structure. Successful utilization of biodegradable materials and printed electronics provides another example that positions printing technologies as one of the sustainable fabrication methods of the future.