Evolution of Sensors and Transducers: From Silicon, Through Green, to “More-Than-Green” Solutions

Prof. Carlo Trigona - Evolution of Sensors and Transducers: From Silicon, Through Green, to “More-Than-Green” Solutions
On Monday, October 30, 2023, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres commenced an official visit to Nepal, delivering a compelling appeal for immediate climate action. He underscored the critical importance of transitioning to environmentally friendly practices, particularly within the electronics sector, to address the escalating issue of electronic waste (e-waste). Guterres advocated for a shift toward sustainable and environmentally responsible methods to tackle this pressing problem. Highlighting the need for a green transition across sectors, the Secretary-General stressed the promotion of renewable energy sources, carbon emission reduction, and the adoption of environmentally friendly solutions in manufacturing and disposal processes.
It is essential to note that the scientific community is being urged to contribute to shifting from the grey economy to a green economy. New technologies are required to enhance the quality of human life while respecting the environment. The development of a sustainable economy involves creating greener electronics, sensors, and transducers-from choosing raw materials to technology used in production and characterization, all the way to their environmental impact after their useful life.
In this context, the talk will include soils, plants, metabolic and bacterial processes involved in these organisms to propose a new generation of electronic devices. These devices aim to surpass silicon-based solutions that contribute to environmental pollution through CO2 emissions during manufacturing and present challenges in non-biodegradability and toxicity at the end of life phase. This proposed solution aims to produce devices without CO2 emissions during production, considering the absence of manufacturing and foundry processes. Additionally, it aims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide already present in the environment through the natural life and photosynthetic processes of these organisms.
The talk also aims to explore the entire green system, paving the way for the possibility of creating a new class of devices, named Living Sensors®, intended to be simple, low-cost, non-toxic, biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and mimetic, applicable across various fields, including environmental and cultural heritage conservation, contributing significantly to the realization of a greener economy.