Eco-friendly platforms for Next-Generation Electronics: Sustainable Gold Nanowire Fabrication using Pulse-Atomic Force nanolithography on Chitosan Films

Eco-friendly platforms for Next-Generation Electronics: Sustainable Gold Nanowire Fabrication using Pulse-Atomic Force nanolithography on Chitosan Films | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Eco-friendly platforms for Next-Generation Electronics: Sustainable Gold Nanowire Fabrication using Pulse-Atomic Force nanolithography on Chitosan Films Paolo Pellegrino, Lorenzo Vincenti, Annalisa Bianco, Isabella Farella, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7600862/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The rapid growth of miniaturized, high-performance electronics has created an urgent need for sustainable materials and, consequently, nanofabrication methods that minimize environmental and health impacts. Conventional micro and nanolithography methods rely on toxic materials and energy-intensive processes, contributing to escalating e-waste and environmental inequities. To address these challenges, research has increasingly focused on biodegradable polymers and green lithographic techniques as viable alternatives for next-generation device manufacturing. Here, a fully sustainable nanofabrication strategy that integrates chitosan-based biodegradable thin films with Constant Pulse-Assisted Force Lithography (CP-AFL) for high-resolution nanopatterning is presented. Using CP-AFL, reproducible arrays of nanogrooves with tunable depths, which served as templates for the formation of gold nanowires, were fabricated. This process achieved precise nanoscale control under ambient conditions without the use of toxic chemicals, high-energy radiation, or advanced instrumentation. These results demonstrate the potential of combining biopolymer resists with low-energy, solvent-free lithography to advance eco-friendly micro- and nanomanufacturing. By providing a scalable, industrially compatible, and environmentally benign pathway for device fabrication, this work moves the field closer to sustainable electronics suitable for applications in flexible, biomedical, and transient devices. Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanoscale materials/Nanowires Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanobiotechnology/Nanofabrication and nanopatterning Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanobiotechnology/Nanostructures Full Text Additional Declarations There is no conflict of interest Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.docx Supplementary Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7600862","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":534434742,"identity":"3f7c53de-9a1f-443b-8afb-8527c3567b64","order_by":0,"name":"Paolo 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