Toward Sustainable Electroluminescent Devices for Lighting and Sensing

Abstract

AbstractIn today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, electroluminescent devices have emerged as pivotal components, illuminating a path toward energy‐efficient lighting solutions, advanced displays, and integrated sensing technologies, profoundly impacting sectors ranging from consumer electronics to sustainable urban development. Based in such socio‐scientific‐economic scenario, and in the pursuit of sustainable and environmentally conscious technologies, this work presents a novel approach to the development of a multifunctional electroluminescent (EL) device capable of both efficient lighting and electric field frequency sensing applications. The proposed device integrates a composite based on zinc sulfide co‐doped with copper (ZnS:Cu) phosphor particles and plant‐based UV resin, to achieve enhanced functional properties and reduced environmental impact. The developed anycubic plant‐based UV resin clear (ECOr)/ZnS:Cu inks display viscosity values between 0.5 and 100 Pa.s (ensuring good quality of screen‐prints), and after printing composites exhibit thermal stability up to ≈200 °C; morphological homogeneity, dielectric properties dependent on the ZnS:Cu content (dielectric constant of 12.8 for the sample with 80 wt.% of filler); 30 cd.m2 luminance for the sample with 80 wt.% of ZnS:Cu; and colorimetric electric field frequency sensing capability in the 0–3 kHz range. Thus, this research contributes to the advancement of sustainable technologies that prioritize both multifunctionality and environmental responsibility in the fabrication of electroluminescent devices for lighting and sensing.