Naturally derived polymer-based substrates for flexible and transient temperature sensors

Advances in biomaterials and fabrication enables thin-film electronics on sustainable substrates for medical, environmental, and agrifood applications. We evaluated three naturally derived materials, chitosan, triacetyl cellulose (TAC), and Agave silk fibers (ASFs), as flexible, transient device substrates. Chitosan supported resistive temperature detectors, TAC accommodated thermistors, and ASFs served for screen-printed silver layers. Devices evaluated over 25–75℃. RTDs exhibited 0.253%/°C sensitivity, TAC thermistors –1.723%/°C, and ASFs retained stability for nine months, demonstrating the feasibility of substrates for transient electronics across diverse application domains.