As the world struggles to get control over the rapid escalation in the growth of electronic waste, a group of scientists may have come up with an innovative natural solution that could significantly increase the production of biodegradable electronics.
Researchers at Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) have developed a biodegradable electronic circuit board made from tree leaves. Instead of using fiberglass or composite plastic, which are difficult to recycle, the research team assembled a webbed skeleton of leaves to create a substrate. The substrate was then dipped into ethyl cellulose, a biodegradable polymer, resulting in a smooth, flexible, and transparent material that can handle high temperatures comparable to nonrecyclable plastics.
At the end of their predicted useful life, the “leaftronic” substrates can then be placed in an ultrasonic acid bath and eventually degrade after about a month in compost.
The TU Dresden researchers’ work on natural-based substrates for circuit boards was published in November on the website of Science Advances and is available at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adq3276.
