To fulfil the aims of the “Green Deal” of transforming the European Union (EU) into a fair, sustainable, and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, the development of new emerging technologies, such as those supporting our “digitalized” society, cannot just focus on the performance/cost ratio. It will necessarily consider the technology's environmental impact and sustainability, which includes materials, processes and product end of life. Given this scenario, it seems evident that the same will happen in the electronics industry serving Information and Communication Technology (ICT). High-performance levels will continue to be satisfied by silicon ICs and other crystalline semiconductors. At the same time, some new devices and systems in the future, without the need for such high performance, will be covered by hybrid technologies and low-cost processes. This will be of particular interest for devices that are used for short periods and with low added value, such as biosensors, smart packaging, wearables, all of them serving the demands of the Internet of Things (IoT) concept.
Within this context, the global objective of NewFun was the creation of environmentally friendly advanced functional materials and processes able to result in a new class of paper-based electronic products. The scientific outputs of NewFun have demonstrated new approaches and methodologies to implement electronic circuits, sensors, energy harvesting devices on paper substrates, using cellulose-based materials and nanocomposites. It was demonstrated that cellulose derivatives could be combined with other organic and inorganic materials to create multifunctional nanocomposites compatible with printing techniques. They were formulated in the form of printable inks that did not require post-processing thermal treatments, fully compatible with paper substrates. Cellulose-based electrolyte membranes based on cellulose derivatives, nanofibers and nanocrystals (CNCs) were ionically doped to improve their electrochemical and dielectric response. They were then integrated in new devices like transistors on paper with innovative architectures and photonic transistors shown for the first time in the NewFun. The project demonstrated a holistic approach to the topic of printable, flexible and paper electronics, covering different devices that can be considered building blocks for the integration into more complex systems, all of them made of sustainable materials and fully recyclable/reusable.
