Plant-Based Electrodes for Bioimpedance Readings of Fruit

Abstract

Waste management, particularly electronic waste, presents significant environmental challenges. Similarly, agricultural and food waste, produced in large quantities, also imposes considerable disposal and processing costs. Addressing both of these issues, this study explores the potential of creating environmentally friendly electronic materials from renewable resources derived from agricultural byproducts. Specifically, sustainable electronic conductors are developed by converting tomato plant waste into conductive, biodegradable materials. This is achieved by integrating graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) with hydrolyzed tomato waste in bio-based latex matrices using water-based methods. Importantly, the use of hydrolyzed tomato waste without the need for isolating specific components represents a whole-biomass utilization strategy. This approach simplifies processing while maximizing the valorization of agricultural waste. The resulting latex–tomato waste composite containing 20 wt.% GnPs exhibits satisfying mechanical properties and moisture resistance, along with a resistivity of 0.46 Ω · m. Notably, it serves effectively as an electrode for recording the bioimpedance of fruits. These findings demonstrate the potential of this material as a sustainable alternative for green electronics, while simultaneously contributing to the reduction of both electronic and agricultural waste within a circular economy framework.