Sustainable Materials Enabled Terahertz Functional Devices

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) devices, owing to their distinctive optical properties, have achieved myriad applications in diverse domains including wireless communication, medical imaging therapy, hazardous substance detection, and environmental governance. Concurrently, to mitigate the environmental impact of electronic waste generated by traditional materials, sustainable materials-based THz functional devices are being explored for further research by taking advantages of their eco-friendliness, cost-effective, enhanced safety, robust biodegradability and biocompatibility. This review focuses on the origins and distinctive biological structures of sustainable materials as well as succinctly elucidates the latest applications in THz functional device fabrication, including wireless communication devices, macromolecule detection sensors, environment monitoring sensors, and biomedical therapeutic devices. We further highlight recent applications of sustainable materials-based THz functional devices in hazardous substance detection, protein-based macromolecule detection, and environmental monitoring. Besides, this review explores the developmental prospects of integrating sustainable materials with THz functional devices, presenting their potential applications in the future.

Keywords: Metamaterial; Sensor; Sustainable materials; Terahertz; Wireless communication.

Fig. 1

Schematic framework illustration of this review. It delivers a concept of sustainable development of THz devices based on sustainable materials. The central circular shape illustrates the sustainable materials and THz technology, while the surrounding ring indicates the source of sustainable materials and the application fields of THz functional devices

Fig. 2

Schematic illustration of structures and morphologies of different kinds of plant-based materials. a Representative source of cellulose and it consists of repeating unit with the β-(1,4)-glycosidic linkage and the crystalline and disordered regions. Reproduced with permission [61]. Copyright 2023, Springer Nature. b Typical source of starch. c Chemical structure of amylose and amylopectin. Reproduced with permission [62]. Copyright 2015, Elsevier. d Typical source of alginate. e Chemical structure of β-d-mannuronic acid and α-l-guluronic acid, and graphical description of the egg-box model for alginate gelation. Reproduced with permission [58]. Copyright 2023, Elsevier

Fig. 3

Schematic illustration of structures and morphologies of different kinds of protein-based materials. a Structure of bombyx mori silk cocoons and fibroin. b Multifunctional silk proteins and cross-linking reactions. Reproduced with permission [86]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier. c Y-shaped architecture of antibodies and highly specific stem region or Fc fragment. Reproduced with permission [70]. Copyright 2023, Springer Nature. d Triple helix structure of collagen with intrastrand n → π* interactions by the trans-amide bond conformation and interstrand hydrogen bonds by glycine residues in the helical core. Reproduced with permission [87]. Copyright 2024, American Chemical Society. e Collagen fibrils comprising three basic amino acids proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline. Reproduced with permission [88]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier. f Structure of collagen and gelatin. Reproduced with permission [89]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier

Fig. 4

Schematic illustration of other sustainable materials. a Various chitosan sources. b Conversion from chitin to chitosan by chemical or enzymatic deacetylation process. Reproduced with permission [102]. Copyright 2024, Frontiers Media S.A. c Resource and structure of lignin, the construction of aromatic chemicals. Reproduced with permission [103]. Copyright 2020, American Chemical Society. d Aromatic monomers of intricate 3D network architecture. Reproduced with permission [98]. Copyright 2018, American Chemical Society. e Lignin’s diverse functional groups and various derived functional materials. Reproduced with permission [97]. Copyright 2021, Springer Nature

Fig. 5

Schematic illustration of the EMI and wireless communication field based on sustainable materials. a Fabrication process of paper and aerogel-based CNFs-sustainable biocarbon as well as those of identification mechanism. Reproduced with permission [34]. Copyright 2023, Elsevier. b Preparation of graphite/starch composites and EMI shielding mechanism. Reproduced with permission [111]. Copyright 2022, Chinese Society of Metals. c Aerogel-based on 2D Ni₂P nano sheet anchored on 1D silk-derived carbon fiber. Reproduced with permission [112]. Copyright 2022, Chinese Society of Metals. d Stacked 3D carbon/cellulose composite layer as THz shielding material in wearable energy storage devices. Reproduced with permission [136]. Copyright 2022, Wiley. e Design and application of implantable data storage systems. Reproduced with permission [134]. Copyright 2022, Wiley

Fig. 6

Sensing based on various sustainable materials. a Photonic band structure of a silk fibroin inverse opal along the high-symmetrical directions. Reproduced with permission [145]. Copyright 2013, Wiley. b Construction of lightweight cellulose nanofiber-based lamellar porous biopolymer aerogels and identification of organic gas under a low density [158]. Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society. c THz sensing platform based on paper with metamaterials for monitoring different concentrations of glucose. Reproduced with permission [157]. Copyright 2011, Wiley. d A type of electronic and photonic devices composed of programmable THz encoded by silk-based metamaterials. Reproduced with permission [135]. Copyright 2020, Wiley

Fig. 7

Application and detection of biomolecule, cell, and micro-organism-based THz biosensor with sustainable materials. a THz biosensor signal transmission, reception process, and results. Reproduced with permission [35]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier. b A microfluidic platform with THz meta-surface chips and Aβ1-42 antibody. Reproduced with permission [191]. Copyright 2021, Elsevier. c A sensing plate combined with mammaglobin B1 and corresponding mammaglobin A2. Reproduced with permission [170]. Copyright 2019, Elsevier

Fig. 8

Schematic illustration of the biological effect and medicine treatment based on sustainable materials. a Implantable and absorbable therapeutic THz metamaterial patches. Reproduced with permission [184]. Copyright 2020, Wiley. b Innovated of an implantable detector with silk and minimal precious metals. Reproduced with permission [183]. Copyright 2010, Wiley. c Designing silk foam with two different densities for the biological fluids collection [187]. Reproduced with permission. Copyright 2014, Wiley