Organic electronics: Sustainability during the entire lifecycle
Materials researcher promotes cradle to cradle approach

Date:
July 7, 2023
Source:
Friedrich-Alexander-Universita"t Erlangen-Nu"rnberg
Summary:
Organic electronics can make a decisive contribution to
decarbonization and, at the same time, help to cut the consumption
of rare and valuable raw materials. To do so, it is not only
necessary to further develop manufacturing processes, but also
to devise technical solutions for recycling as early on as the
laboratory phase. Materials scientists are now promoting this
circular strategy.


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FULL STORY ========================================================================== Organic electronics can make a decisive contribution to decarbonization
and, at the same time, help to cut the consumption of rare and valuable
raw materials.

To do so, it is not only necessary to further develop manufacturing
processes, but also to devise technical solutions for recycling
as early on as the laboratory phase. Materials scientists from Friedrich-Alexander-Universita"t Erlangen-Nu"rnberg (FAU) are now
promoting this circular strategy in conjunction with researchers from
the UK and USA in the Organic electronic components, such as solar
modules, have several exceptional features. They can be applied in
extremely thin layers on flexible carrier materials and therefore have
a wider range of applications than crystalline materials. Since their photoactive substances are carbon based, they also contribute to cutting
the consumption of rare, expensive and sometimes toxic materials such
as iridium, platinum and silver.

Organic electronic components are experiencing major growth in the
field of OLED technologies in particular, and above all for television
or computer screens. "One the one hand, this is progress, but on the
other, it causes some problems," says Prof. Dr. Christoph Brabec, Chair
of Materials Science (Materials in Electronics and Energy Technology)
at FAU and Director of the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nu"rnberg for
Renewable Energy (HI ERN). As a materials scientist, Brabec sees the
danger of permanently incorporating environmentally friendly technology
into a device architecture that is not sustainable on the whole. This
not only affects electronic devices, but also organic sensors in textiles
that have an extremely short operating life.

Brabec: "Applied research in particular must now set the course to
ensure that electronic components and all their individual parts must
leave an ecological footprint that is as small as possible during their
entire lifecycle." More efficient synthesis and more robust materials
The further development of organic electronics themselves is elementary
here, since new materials and more efficient manufacturing processes lead
to the reduction of outlay and energy during production. "Compared with
simple polymers, the manufacturing process for the photoactive layer
requires significantly higher amounts of energy as it is deposited in
a vacuum at high temperatures," explains Brabec. The researchers are
therefore proposing cheaper and more environmentally-friendly processes,
such as deposition from water- based solutions and printing using
inkjet processes. Brabec: "One major challenge is developing functional materials that can be processed without toxic solvents that are harmful
to the environment." In the case of OLED screens, inkjet printing also
offers the possibility of replacing precious metals such as iridium and platinum with organic materials.

In addition to their efficiency, the operating stability of materials
is decisive. Complex encapsulation is required in order to protect the
vacuum- deposited carbon layers of organic solar modules, which can make
up to two thirds of their overall weight. More robust combinations of
materials could contribute to significant savings in materials, weight
and energy.

Planning the recycling process in the laboratory To make a realistic
evaluation of the environmental footprint of organic electronics,
the entire product lifecycle has to be considered. In terms of output,
organic photovoltaic systems are still lagging behind conventional silicon modules, but 30% less CO2 is emitted during the manufacturing process.

Aiming for maximum efficiency levels is not everything, says Brabec: "18 percent could make more sense environmentally than 20, if it's possible
to manufacture the photoactive material in five steps instead of eight."
In addition, the shorter operating life of organic modules is also
relative if you look more closely. Although photovoltaic modules based on silicon last longer, they are very difficult to recycle. "Biocompatibility
and biodegradability will increasingly become important criteria, both
for product development as well as for packaging design," says Christoph Brabec. "We really must start taking recycling into consideration in
the laboratory." This means, for example, using substrates that can
either be easily recycled or that are as biodegradable as the active substances. Using what is known as multilayer designs as early on as
the product design phase could ensure that various materials can easily
be separated and recycled at the end of the product lifecycle. Brabec:
"This cradle-to-cradle approach will be a decisive prerequisite for establishing organic electronics as an important component in the
transition to renewable energy."
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Story Source: Materials provided by Friedrich-Alexander-Universita"t_Erlangen-Nu"rnberg.

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========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Iain McCulloch, Michael Chabinyc, Christoph Brabec, Christian Bech
Nielsen, Scott Edward Watkins. Sustainability considerations
for organic electronic products. Nature Materials, 2023; DOI:
10.1038/s41563-023- 01579-0 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230707111651.htm

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