Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026
06:21
A Simple and Scalable Fabrication Method for Organic Electronic Devices on Textiles
Published on: March 13, 2017
10.8K
Aqueously Upcycled Lignin with Emergent Tribonegativity for Skin-Integrated Triboelectronics.
Robert Ccorahua-Santo1,2, Mi Li3, Yi Zheng4
1Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|December 10, 2025
Summary
Lignin, a biomass byproduct, is transformed into a printable electronic ink using a scalable aqueous process. This innovation enables sustainable, high-performance electronics from waste, demonstrating potential in advanced sensors.
Area of Science:
- Biomass Valorization
- Sustainable Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Lignin, an abundant industrial byproduct, is a promising but underutilized resource for creating functional polymers.
- Poor aqueous solubility of lignin hinders its application in developing advanced materials and sustainable technologies.
- Developing efficient and environmentally friendly methods to process lignin is crucial for a circular bioeconomy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable aqueous process for transforming lignin into a printable electronic ink.
- To enhance lignin's dispersibility and preserve its molecular integrity for functional polymer applications.
- To demonstrate the utility of lignin-derived electronic ink in fabricating high-performance, sustainable sensors.
Main Methods:
- A benign urea-based formulation was employed to significantly increase lignin dispersibility in an aqueous medium.
- The process focused on preserving the integrity of lignin's β-O-4' ether linkages during solubilization.
- Lignin polymers underwent thermodynamically driven self-assembly during printing to form nanotextured surfaces.
Main Results:
- Lignin dispersibility was enhanced by two orders of magnitude to 100 mg mL⁻¹, with 97.6% of β-O-4' ether linkages preserved.
- The process enabled the creation of functional, nanotextured surfaces with emergent tribonegativity without harsh solvents.
- Skin-integrated triboelectric sensors fabricated from the lignin ink demonstrated high-fidelity signal generation for classifying human mental workload.
Conclusions:
- A generalizable strategy for creating high-performance, sustainable electronics from waste biomass, specifically lignin, has been established.
- The developed aqueous process offers a pathway for valorizing lignin into advanced functional materials.
- Lignin-derived electronic inks show significant potential for applications in wearable electronics and biosensing.
