{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T14:09:46Z","timestamp":1773842986652,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,10]],"date-time":"2024-02-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1707523200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"\u201cProgramma di ricerca di ateneo UNICT 2020-22 linea 2 PIA.CE.RI\u201d, SENSORS","award":["ECS00000022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ECS00000022"]}]},{"name":"European Union (NextGeneration EU)","award":["ECS00000022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ECS00000022"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In recent years, the issue of electronic waste production has gained significant attention. To mitigate the environmental impact of e-waste, one approach under consideration involves the development of biodegradable electronic devices or devices that dissolve in the environment at the end of their life cycle. This study presents results related to the creation of a sensor that effectively addresses both criteria. The device was constructed using a composite material formed by impregnating a pullulan membrane (a biodegradable water-soluble biopolymer) with 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (a water-soluble ionic liquid) and coating the product with a conductive silver-based varnish. Capitalizing on the piezoionic effect, the device has demonstrated functionality as a vibration sensor with a sensitivity of approximately 5.5 \u00d7 10\u22125 V\/mm and a resolution of about 1 mm. The novelty of this study lies in the unique combination of materials. Unlike the use of piezoelectric materials, this combination allows for the production of a device that does not require an external potential difference generator to function properly as a sensor. Furthermore, the combination of a biopolymer, such as pullulan, and an ionic liquid, both readily soluble in water, in creating an active electronic component represents an innovation in the field of vibration sensors.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s24041176","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,12]],"date-time":"2024-02-12T03:50:27Z","timestamp":1707709827000},"page":"1176","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Pullulan-1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate Composite as a Water-Soluble Active Component of a Vibration Sensor"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"given":"Giovanna","family":"Di Pasquale","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche (DSC), University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3079-9071","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Salvatore","family":"Graziani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica Elettronica e Informatica (DIEEI), University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6814-9977","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonino","family":"Pollicino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Architettura (DICAr), University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carlo","family":"Trigona","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica Elettronica e Informatica (DIEEI), University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Parajuly, K., Kuehr, R., Awasthi, A., Fitzpatrick, C., Lepawsky, J., Smith, E., Widmer, R., and Zeng, X. 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