Page 7 - MSAM-1-3

Materials Science in Additive Manufacturing

REVIEW ARTICLE
Biodegradable materials: Foundation of

transient and sustainable electronics

Monisha Monisha, Shweta Agarwala*
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Finlandsgade 22, Aarhus University, Denmark

Abstract

Biodegradable materials are designed to degrade in a desired time either through
the action of microorganisms or under certain physical conditions. The driving force
behind the rise of biodegradable materials is the growing problem of electronic
waste (e-waste), low recyclability, and toxicity of electronic materials. Transient
response of biodegradable materials has found application in next-generation
health-care and biomedical devices. Advances in material science and manufacturing
technique have pushed the envelope of innovation further. This review discusses
different biodegradable material classes that have emerged to replace the traditional
non-biodegradable materials in electronics. Focus has been given to conversion
of biodegradable materials to inks and pastes that find use in printed electronics
to create flexible, bendable, soft, and degradable devices. Material degradation
behavior and dissolution chemistries have been illustrated to understand their
impact on electrical performance of devices. Finally, some short-term and long-term
challenges are pointed out to overcome the commercialization barrier.

*Corresponding author: Keywords: Biodegradable materials; Biodegradable metals; Biodegradable polymers;
Shweta Agarwala Transient electronics
(shweta@ece.au.dk)
Citation: Monisha M, Agarwala S,
2022, Biodegradable materials:
Foundation of transient and 1. Introduction
sustainable electronics. Mater Sci
Add Manuf, 1(3): 15. Technological advancements and ever-increasing reliance on electronic devices have
https://doi.org/10.18063/msam.v1i3.15
seen an unprecedented increase in the recent times. This has made our life easier,
Received: July 31, 2022 communication faster, and medical devices precise. Simultaneously, it has created an
Accepted: September 2, 2022
Published Online: September 21, issue of growing electronic waste (e-waste). Just like plastic waste, e-waste takes up the
2022 space, releases toxins in the environment, and is not degradable. E-waste is the world’s
[1]
Copyright: © 2022 Author(s). fastest growing waste stream with figures hitting around 74 metric tonnes by 2030 .
This is an Open Access article Conventional electronics uses inorganic materials, namely, silicon, copper, and gallium
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution arsenide, which degrade through corrosive action. The inorganic metals and ceramics
License, permitting distribution, undergo degradation through mediation of surface reactivity, metal catalysis, and
and reproduction in any medium, resorbability. Most of the inorganic materials form an inert protective layer on exposure
provided the original work is
properly cited. to the environment, thus hampering its degradation. Even if the material can be degraded
under certain conditions, it often leads to leaching of heavy metal ions, which are toxic
Publisher’s Note: Whioce
Publishing remains neutral with to the living organisms and cause environmental issues.
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional This has led researchers and industries to explore ways of not only recycling existing
affiliations. electronics but also finding viable alternatives to the non-degradable materials used

Volume 1 Issue 3 (2022) 1 https://doi.org/10.18063/msam.v1i3.15