Photo credit: THOR BALKHED
Researchers from Linköping University and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology have developed the world’s first wood transistor, paving the way for more advanced wood-based electronics. Previous attempts resulted in wood transistors capable of only transport, while this latest iteration functions continuously and can regulate electricity flow without deteriorating.
To achieve this, the researchers utilized balsa wood to make their transistor and then removed the lignin, leaving just the long cellulose fibers with channels where the lignin had been. These channels were then filled with a polymer, called PEDOT:PSS, resulting in an electrically conductive wood material. Aside from regulating electric current and providing continuous function at a selected output level, it was also able to switch the power on or off.
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We didn’t create the wood transistor with any specific application in mind. We did it because we could. This is basic research, showing that it’s possible, and we hope it will inspire further research that can lead to applications in the future,” said Isak Engquist, Senior Associate Professor at the Laboratory for Organic Electronics at Linköping University.
