A solvent-free strategy to produce water-dispersed biochar-nanofibers (BH-CNF) is reported, demonstrating the potential of this cost-effective and sustainable material in electrochemical sensing and fabrication of conductive films. Water-phase BH-CNF from eucalyptus scraps were achieved using a Kraft process followed by liquid-phase exfoliation assisted by the biological stabilizing agent sodium cholate. BH-CNF-based sensors were constructed following two strategies: surface modification of screen-printed electrodes and fabrication of exclusively nanofiber-based flexible sensors. The latter were fabricated through a procedure that is cost-effective and within everyone’s reach. The potentiality of the BH-CNF-based sensors has been challenged toward a wide range of analytes containing phenol moieties and applied for detection of o-diphenols and m-phenols in olive oil samples. The BH-CNF-based sensors exhibited repeatable (RSD ≤ 7%, n = 5) and reproducible (RSD ≤ 10%; n = 3) results, proving their applicability in electroanalytical applications and the robustness of the exfoliation and fabrication strategy. For sample analysis, LODs for hydroxytyrosol (LOD ≤ 0.6 μM) and tyrosol (LOD ≤ 3.8 μM), intersensor precision (RSD calibration slope < 7%, n = 3), and recoveries obtained in real sample analysis (91–111%, RSD ≤ 6%; n = 3) endorse the material exploitability in real analytical applications.

In this study, we report a novel way to produce carbon-based conductive inks for electronic and sensor technology applications. Carbonized lignin, obtained from the waste products of the Eucalyptus globulus tree paper industry, was used to produce a stable conductive ink. To this end, liquid-phase compositions were tested with different amounts of carbonized lignin powder to obtain an ink with optimal conductivity and rheological properties for different possible uses. The combination that showed the best properties, both regarding electrochemical properties and green compatibility of the materials employed, was cyclohexanone/cellulose acetate/carbonized lignin 5% (w/w), which was used to produce screen-printed electrodes. The electrodes were characterized from a structural and electrochemical point of view, resulting in an electrochemically active area of 0.1813 cm2, compared to the electrochemically active area of 0.1420 cm2 obtained by employing geometrically similar petroleum-based screen-printed electrodes and, finally, their performance was demonstrated for the quantification of uric acid, with a limit of detection of 0.3 μM, and their biocompatibility was assessed by testing it with the laccase enzyme and achieving a limit of detection of 2.01 μM for catechol as the substrate. The results suggest that the developed ink could be of great use in both sensor and electronic industries, reducing the overall ecological impact of traditionally used petroleum-based inks.

The significant progress in scientific research and innovation has led to the need for a new paradigm to legitimise the innovation process in society and politics. The European Union, with the Horizon 2020 framework program and Horizon Europe, institutionalises this change by defining the concept of responsible research and innovation (RRI), aiming at greater inclusiveness and sustainability in the research and innovation processes. This paper aimed to present an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the dynamics between the different actors that cooperate within networks during the innovation process, taking the inclinations toward RRI practices into account. The different types of agent, their characteristics, and the different strategies that they follow have been formulated within the Horizon 2020 project I AM RRI-Webs of Innovation Value Chains (IVCs) of Additive Manufacturing (AM) under consideration of RRI. Besides, some experiments are reported to validate the model, ensuring its rigor and making our model a useful tool for policymakers, assisting them in defining strategic guidelines for disseminating and encouraging RRI best practices and defining the critical factors of the innovative cooperative process.

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