Conductive Ink with Circular Life Cycle for Printed Electronics

Electronic waste carries energetic costs and an environmental burden rivaling that of plastic waste due to the rarity and toxicity of the heavy-metal components. Recyclable conductive composites are introduced for printed circuits formulated with polycaprolactone (PCL), conductive fillers, and enzyme/protectant nanoclusters. Circuits can be printed with flexibility (breaking strain approximate to 80%) and conductivity (approximate to 2.1 x 10(4) S m(-1)). These composites are degraded at the end of life by immersion in warm water with programmable latency. Approximately 94% of the functional fillers can be recycled and reused with similar device performance. The printed circuits remain functional and degradable after shelf storage for at least 7 months at room temperature and one month of continuous operation under electrical voltage. The present studies provide composite design toward recyclable and easily disposable printed electronics for applications such as wearable electronics, biosensors, and soft robotics.

Automated summary

This study introduces recyclable and easily disposable printed electronics using special conductive composite materials. These materials can be degraded with programmed latency and allow for the recycling and reuse of up to 94% of functional fillers. They exhibit excellent flexibility and conductivity, and remain functional even after long-term shelf storage and continuous voltage operation.