Lignin, a molecule that makes up 20% to 30% of wood and ensures that trees are stable and strong enough, is one of the paper industry's main waste materials. Lignin is left over as waste when paper is made and burned at biorefineries. Researchers at the JKU (department head: Institute of Physical Chemistry at JKU; Board of Directors: Wittgenstein Award winner Univ. Prof. Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci) have joined forces with researchers at universities in Parma and Bari (Italy) to explore the polymer structure and better understand its capabilities. Their findings show that lignin is well suited to manufacture integrated transistors to be used in lightweight, flexible, and portable devices, such as tablets and cell phones.

This breakthrough means lignin can be utilized as an active material in a transistor, thereby becoming a basis of "green electronics". Assistant Professor Mihai Irimia-Vladu (Institute of Physical Chemistry) explains: "The biggest advantage is that it can be used immediately. Our study identified a correlation between the process of manufacturing lignin and performance, meaning that in order to be able to use lignin in electronics, current production methods do not need to be changed."

Inexpensive, Sustainable, Readily Available
Utilizing lignin not only reduces the cost of producing electronics, but also creates more sustainable devices with less environmental impact at the end of their life cycle. Irimia-Vladu manages the project together with Associate Professor Alessandra Operamolla (Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry at the University of Pisa, Italy). As part of their research, the two scientists are pursuing a completely new approach. While there were previous attempts to substitute lignin for plastics that were extracted from petroleum, the success rate was marginal. Irimia-Vladu added: "Using lignin to manufacture transistors could, on the other hand, be an initial concrete solution to the unacceptable waste of resources."

The study has been published in the renowned journal "Advanced Sustainable Systems" and will hopefully soon result in more responsible management of wood as a resource.

Research group members:

Cristian Vlad Irimia, Bilge Kahraman (visiting student), Dr. Yasin Kanbur (visiting scientist), Dr. Cigdem Yumusak, Dr. Mateusz Bednorz and Professor Mihai Irimia-Vladu (Institute of Physical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria); Dr. Rosarita D'Orsi and professor Jeannette J. Lucejko and Alessandra Operamolla (the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry at the University of Pisa, Italy); and Prof. Francesco Babudri (the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bari, Italy).