Leaf Electronics: Nature-Based Substrates and Electrodes for Organic Electronic Applications

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that natural leaf structures can be chemically modified to create biodegradable, flexible, and transparent electrodes for organic electronics, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional materials.

Contribution

It introduces a novel use of lignocellulose leaf structures as biodegradable substrates and electrodes, combining eco-friendliness with high electrical and optical performance.

Findings

Leaf-derived electrodes have sheet resistance below 1 ohm/sq.

They achieve broadband optical transmittance around 80%.

Electrodes can carry currents up to 6 A over 6.25 cm².

Abstract

The need to reduce the environmental impact of inorganic electronic systems is pressing. Although the field of organic electronics provides a potential solution to this issue, research and optimization is still majorly carried out on glass or plastic substrates. Additionally, the fabrication of organic devices requiring transparent electrodes is fraught with complex techniques and expensive materials which limit widespread implementation and sustainability goals. Here, we show that the quasi-fractal lignocellulose structures extracted from natural leaves can be successfully modified to be used as biodegradable substrates as well as electrodes for optoelectronic applications. Chemically coating the microstructures of these leaf skeletons with metals results in quasi-transparent, flexible electrodes having sheet resistances below 1 ohm/sq. and a concomitant current carrying capacity as high as 6 A over a 2.5*2.5 cm2 leaf electrode, all while maintaining broadband optical transmittance values of around 80%.