Transient Electronics

A new type of printed circuit board could drastically reduce the amount of electronic waste that ends up in landfills. Although most PCBs are difficult to recycle, such is not the case with this one, which turns into a reusable jelly when necessary.

Old electronics are tricky to recycle, meaning they clog up landfills while locking valuable metals away. Now scientists have demonstrated printed circuits that can be degraded on demand, returning their materials to reusable forms.

​If an electronic device containing sensitive information were to fall into the wrong hands, it would be good if there were a way of remotely disabling it. That's why scientists have developed a method of vaporizing electronic circuits, without laying a hand on the actual device.

"Transient electronics" are designed to degrade in the presence of environmental triggers such as heat, light or moisture, once they've served their purpose. Now, scientists have created a battery for such devices, that falls apart along with them when exposed to water.​

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new type of "transient" electronic device that self-destructs in response to heat exposure. The work is aimed at making it easy for materials from devices that usually end up in landfill to be recycled or dissolved completely.

Scientists have created "transient electronics," that dissolve once they're no longer needed.