FMRG: Manufacturing Advanced Electronics through Printing Using Bio-based and Locally Identified Chemicals (MADE-PUBLIC)

We envision a future intelligent, scalable, and democratized manufacturing paradigm that does not exist today – autonomous distributed manufacturing of low-cost printable electronic devices at the time of need using locally-available resources such as bio-based materials (Fig. 1). The vision is guided by the 2018 White House Advanced-Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan, the recent DOE Basic Research Needs Workshop on Transformative Manufacturing, and inspired by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that underscores the importance of distributed manufacturing and the power of additive manufacturing in meeting the urgent need of supply chain for personal protection equipment. This Type II FMRG proposal aims to demonstrate a distributed manufacturing platform for printing advanced electronic devices (e.g., chemical sensors, lithium-ion batteries, and their integration to produce battery-powered chemical sensors) using substrates and inks derived from bio-based materials extracted from precisely-grown plants and grasses. The resulting printed electronic devices will be mostly biodegradable with most of their components recyclable or upcyclable. For example, critical elements such as precious metals can be recycled and carbon-based martials can be converted to graphene for further use as printing inks. Our goal is to demonstrate a closed loop of manufacturing (circular manufacturing) from precision agriculture/hydroponics to advanced biodegradable electronics. The printed chemical sensors will be powered by the on-board lithium-ion battery, and the battery-powered sensors will be used to monitor water and gas parameters that are critical for the hydroponic growth of Miscanthus and other plants to derive inks – so the loop is closed. A unique advantage of the proposed printing manufacturing process is that it can produce complicated electronic systems through multiplexing various electronic devices or components. Project results can potentially lead to a new generation of manufacturing platform that contributes to a circular economy and democratizes manufacturing of low-cost, environmentally-friendly, advanced electronic devices.