Flag-Era 2D-Paper

The project will thus examine the possibility of producing cheap, green and recyclable electrically insulating and thermally conductive flexible paper substrates using inorganic 2D nanoparticles (graphene and hexagonal boron nitride/h-BN) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), which will ensure robustness, mechanical stability and additional cooling effect by desorption of accumulated moisture/water. We will examine the influence of the chemical and morphological structure of substrates produced by various industrially relevant technological processes (vacuum filtration, one-way freezing, surface coating using slot-die, screen-printing or spraying, TRL 1-4) on the ability to transfer heat and the way which will meet the technical specifications (flexibility, robustness, surface flatness, low expansion factor, minimal swelling, insolubility in water and organic solvents, good mechanical and thermal stability) required in the production of flexible electronics and for various applications (wearable electronics, smart products in healthcare /medicine, security/packaging, foldable opto/electronics, etc.). We will use artificial intelligence to optimize the dielectric, thermal, and optical properties of substrates, and perform LCA analysis.

The newly developed substrates will be cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and easily recyclable with a smaller amount of waste. They will also be an effective alternative to expensive and environmentally harmful traditional hard ceramic substrates, enabling their use in thermoelectric heating and cooling modules without hazardous cooling systems.

KOKOL, Vanja, VIVOD, Vera, KLINAR, Katja. Thermal conductive properties of nanocellulose/hBN based substrates for flexible organic electronics. V: Graphene 2025 : June 25-28, 2025, San Sebastián (Spain). 2025. p. 1. https://www.grapheneconf.com/2025/posters.php