Development and Optimization of Zinc and Molybdenum Bioresorbable Conductive Inks for Printed Transient Electronics
Sandra Pérez a, Oriol Duque a, Carme Martínez-Domingo a, Tammy Leung a, Eloi Ramon a
a Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona, IMB-CNM (CSIC), Carrer dels Til·lers, Spain
Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2026 Conference (MATSUSSpring26)
I2 Organic materials and devices for sustainable and transient electronics
Barcelona, Spain, 2026 March 23rd - 27th
Organizers: Noemí Contreras-Pereda and Micaela Matta
Poster, Sandra Pérez, 971
Publication date: 15th December 2025

The global escalation of electronic waste (e-waste) poses a critical environmental threat, with global generation reaching 62 million tonnes in 2022 and projections climbing to 82 million tonnes by 2030 [1]. Beyond the immediate ecological impact, conventional electronics exacerbate this crisis through the leaching of toxic heavy metals and the loss of approximately $62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources (including gold, copper and iron) annually due to mismanagement. This alarming figure highlights the urgent need for sustainable materials and circular manufacturing strategies.

To address this, bioresorbable electronic devices [2, 3] have emerged as a transformative sustainable solution. By utilizing biocompatible materials that degrade into non-toxic by products, they bypass the inefficiencies of current recycling infrastructures (which currently process only 22.3% of discarded hardware), offering a self-managing 'end-of-life' protocol that reduces economic and ecological waste.

In this context, transient electronics based on functional pastes and inks have experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by their compatibility with scalable fabrication techniques and their seamless integration into biodegradable substrates. Specifically, additive manufacturing approaches, such as inkjet printing and screen printing, enable precise patterning while minimizing material waste, making them particularly attractive for sustainable device fabrication.

However, despite the substantial progress in ink formulation, nanoparticles (NPs) engineering and processing methodologies, bioresorbable conductive pastes still exhibit lower electrical conductivity compared to conventional metallic systems.  This performance gap restricts their broader implementation, underscoring the necessity for further optimization of both material composition and processing conditions. To address this challenge, the present work systematically investigates key parameters in the development of conductive inks based on zinc and molybdenum NPs tailored, for inkjet and screen printing. Factors such as NPs size, dispersion stability, ink rheology and printing parameters were evaluated to optimize its electrical performance. Moreover, photonic curing was explored as an advanced sintering strategy to enhance electrical conductivity beyond the levels achieved through conventional thermal treatments, while preserving compatibility with temperature-sensitive bioresorbable substrates. In addition, a cytotoxicity assessment of Zn and Mo nanoparticles was carried out to evaluate their biocompatibility. The results indicate that both types of nanoparticles exhibit a safe profile under the tested conditions, supporting their suitability for use in bioresorbable electronic applications.

Financial support for this work was provided by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 101112109 SUSTRONICS (Sustainable and green electronics for circular economy) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the project GREENPATCH (PID2023-148717OB-C21).

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