"Preparation of Transistors Using Sustainable Substrates Aiming at Applications in Fully Biodegradable Devices

• Grant number: 24/23792-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 24, 2025
• End date: April 23, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Neri Alves
• Grantee: Mayk Rodrigues do Nascimento
• Supervisor: Rodrigo Ferrao de Paiva Martins
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/02186-6 - Studies on electrolyte-gated transistors aiming at sustainable printed electronics, BP.DR

Abstract

The exponential growth of electronic waste poses a significant challenge for electronics, which must adapt to more sustainable pathways, particularly in applications with very short life cycles. In the search for low-cost deposition techniques and alternative materials, new niches in electronics have emerged, such as printed and flexible electronics, which allow conformity to packaging and various surfaces aligned with the Internet of Things and smart city proposals. In this context, this project proposes the study and development of electrolytic transistors to meet this demand, focusing on fully biodegradable devices, including sustainable substrates. For this purpose, renewable, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly materials will be utilized, such as wood, paper, alginate, chitosan, gelatin, zinc oxide, electrolytes, and various carbon-based structures, including conductive inks, reduced graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and laser-induced graphene. Carbon-based electrodes stand out due to their ease of printing, excellent electrical conductivity, environmentally friendly synthesis pathways, and high flexibility when in thicknesses smaller than one millimeter. In addition to the fabrication and characterization of the devices, applications in logic gates, humidity sensors, and the simulation of neuromorphic synapses are proposed, which are highly relevant and in-demand areas in modern society.