Over the past years research has been done with several biodegradable materials, including DNA, to make what is called transient electronics, dissolvable electronic components that are designed to be compatible with the environment. The Chinese scientists used egg proteins, magnesium and tungsten to build a dissolvable memory resistor or memristor, a special kind of resistor that can “remember” charges.
The egg memristor has the same performance as a non-degradable memristor. Under dry conditions in the lab, the components worked reliably for more than three months. In water, the electrodes and albumin dissolved in two to 10 hours in the lab. The rest of the chip took about three days to break down, leaving minimal residues behind.
Egg Memristor recipe
- Egg white
- Silicon wafer
Dilute egg white (albumin) with a bit of water. Spin this mix rapidly on the silicon wafer to obtain an ultra-thin film. Make tiny electrodes out of the magnesium and tungsten. Place half of the electrodes under the film and the other half on top. Place in moderately warm oven for 20 minutes. Serve with rice.