Bio-Derived Laser Induced Graphene for Sustainable Electronics

Laser Induced Graphene (LIG) is a porous conductive carbon material produced by laser-induced pyrolysis of polymer precursors, with technological applications in flexible/stretchable/wearable electronics, electrochemical sensors, energy storage, among others.^1–4
Several bioderived polymers and raw natural materials are good LIG precursors.⁵ Our group is investigating these LIG precursors for sustainable approaches to green electronics and soft electronics/robotics. Here, we present some results of our studies on LIG obtained from both raw natural materials and processed bio-derived polymers. These include magnetic LIG derived from starch-based bioplastic⁶, composites of polysaccharides (starch, chitosan) + hazelnut or almond shells (i.e., waste from agricultural and food industry), lignin (waste from paper pulp process), composites based on plant-derived resins, among others. For each class of precursors specific laser scribing strategies have been tailored and the resulting LIG materials are characterized in terms of their structure, composition, morphology, and of their functional properties (e.g., conductivity, piezoresistivity, wettability), useful for the development of LIG sensors. Also, the degradation behavior of these materials in different conditions is assessed, in view of applications in biodegradable/transient electronics. Finally, for the first time we attempted to quantitatively assess the environmental impact of LIG technology, through a dedicated Life Cycle Assessment.

References
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