Sustainable materials for organic photovoltaic devices towards transient electronics in digital agriculture

Beata Synkiewicz-Musialska; Kaisa Leena Väisänen; Marja Välimäki; Kiranmai Uppuluri; Maria Smolander; Krzysztof Szostak; Liisa Hakola

doi:10.1039/d5ta05223h

Sustainable materials for organic photovoltaic devices towards transient electronics in digital agriculture

Beata Synkiewicz-Musialska^*
, Kaisa Leena Väisänen
, Marja Välimäki^*
, Kiranmai Uppuluri
, Maria Smolander
, Krzysztof Szostak
, Liisa Hakola

^*Corresponding author for this work

Lukasiewicz Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics (Łukasiewicz-IMIF)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

With the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions, particularly for energy supply in transient sensor systems, this study focused on environmentally friendly materials in organic photovoltaics (OPV) and their key photovoltaic parameters. The application of regenerated cellulose (RC), gelatin and propylene glycol (PGG) as biodegradable alternatives to fossil-based PET film substrates and soil-compatible carbon paste (SCP) as a replacement for evaporated metal electrodes was assessed for electronics. The investigated aspects included the current–voltage characteristics, leakage current, and cell efficiency under LED illumination at 1000 lx, relevant for IoT applications. Both the commercial and newly developed OPV components were then analyzed in terms of their microstructure, water solubility, and layer integration. Results showed that RC can serve as a promising alternative substrate for OPV, achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.88%, and the electrical properties of OPVs incorporating the developed SCP were significantly higher than those of the OPVs that used the commercial carbon paste (CP) electrode. SEM analysis confirmed good adhesion and uniformity between layers, supporting the mechanical integrity of the device. Despite the high leakage currents in devices with printed SCP electrodes, further optimization can improve the overall device performance. The water solubility and environmental impact of the OPV materials were assessed through conductivity and pH measurements over six months, revealing no significant changes in soil quality, with pH levels remaining within the plant-safe range of 6.0 to 7.5. The findings of this study demonstrate the performance of OPVs utilizing soil-compatible materials for transient electronics, towards fulfilling the requirements of energy autonomous sensing in digital agriculture applications while maintaining ecological integrity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	39128-39139
Journal	Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Volume	13
Issue number	45
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ta05223h
Publication status	Published - 7 Dec 2025
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

The authors want to acknowledge Anne Peltoniemi, Jenni Tomperi and Minna Kehusmaa for their excellent technical assistance. This research was supported by the CHIST-ERA project Transient Electronics for Sustainable ICT in DigitaL Agriculture (Research Council of Finland Grant No. 350411) and the National Science Centre, Poland, under CHIST-ERA IV Programme, under Grant Agreement no 857925. Further support was provided by the Research Council of Finland Flagship Programme, Photonics Research and Innovation (PREIN), decision number 346545. Part of the facilities used were provided by the Research Council of Finland Research Infrastructure Printed Intelligence Infrastructure PII-FIRI, Grant No. 358621.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

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D5TA05223HFinal published version, 4.83 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Sustainable materials for organic photovoltaic devices towards transient electronics in digital agriculture",

abstract = "With the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions, particularly for energy supply in transient sensor systems, this study focused on environmentally friendly materials in organic photovoltaics (OPV) and their key photovoltaic parameters. The application of regenerated cellulose (RC), gelatin and propylene glycol (PGG) as biodegradable alternatives to fossil-based PET film substrates and soil-compatible carbon paste (SCP) as a replacement for evaporated metal electrodes was assessed for electronics. The investigated aspects included the current–voltage characteristics, leakage current, and cell efficiency under LED illumination at 1000 lx, relevant for IoT applications. Both the commercial and newly developed OPV components were then analyzed in terms of their microstructure, water solubility, and layer integration. Results showed that RC can serve as a promising alternative substrate for OPV, achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.88\%, and the electrical properties of OPVs incorporating the developed SCP were significantly higher than those of the OPVs that used the commercial carbon paste (CP) electrode. SEM analysis confirmed good adhesion and uniformity between layers, supporting the mechanical integrity of the device. Despite the high leakage currents in devices with printed SCP electrodes, further optimization can improve the overall device performance. The water solubility and environmental impact of the OPV materials were assessed through conductivity and pH measurements over six months, revealing no significant changes in soil quality, with pH levels remaining within the plant-safe range of 6.0 to 7.5. The findings of this study demonstrate the performance of OPVs utilizing soil-compatible materials for transient electronics, towards fulfilling the requirements of energy autonomous sensing in digital agriculture applications while maintaining ecological integrity.",

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AU - Uppuluri, Kiranmai

AU - Smolander, Maria

AU - Szostak, Krzysztof

AU - Hakola, Liisa

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Sustainable materials for organic photovoltaic devices towards transient electronics in digital agriculture

Abstract

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UN SDGs

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