The Dr. Octavio Lozada Flores, a researcher at the School of Engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico ( Universidad Panamericana ); and Dr. María Elena Sánchez Vergara, from Anáhuac University, developed a patent that aims to provide a national solution to the challenge of creating more sustainable and flexible electronic components. These are hybrid semiconductor films that combine porphyrin with polymers, offering an alternative to traditional materials such as silicon.
The project, which is currently in the laboratory phase (TRL 4), represents a breakthrough in the field of organic semiconductors and a significant step toward the country's technological sovereignty.
The Problem with Traditional Materials
The global electronics industry relies heavily on silicon, a material essential for the manufacture of circuits and technological devices. However, its production comes at a high environmental and geopolitical cost.
“One of the major challenges facing the electronics industry today is its heavy reliance on semiconductors such as silicon, the manufacture of which requires enormous amounts of energy, water, and highly specialized infrastructure,” explains Dr. Lozada Flores.
Compounding this situation is the growing vulnerability of global supply chains, which are concentrated in just a few regions of the world. This research aims to offer a more sustainable alternative with a lower environmental impact and the potential for use in flexible devices, sensors, and next-generation solar energy technologies.
“We aim to offer a more sustainable alternative by developing hybrid semiconductor films,” adds the researcher.
Fine powders and polymers: a new generation of semiconductor materials
The key to this innovation lies in the combination of two worlds: that of organic molecules and that of polymers. “Porphyrins are molecules with very interesting electronic and optical properties, while polymers provide flexibility, mechanical stability, and ease of processing,”, explains Dr. Lozada.
The idea is not to replace silicon, but to complement it in areas where flexibility and low cost are key.
“By combining these two materials, we obtain a technological platform capable of performing semiconductor functions using simpler and more sustainable processes (…) without seeking to replace silicon in all its applications, but rather to complement it in those where flexibility, low cost, and sustainability are key factors.”
The Scientific Challenge Overcome
One of the main challenges in obtaining this patent was resolving a long-standing problem associated with porfinass: their low solubility, which makes it difficult to produce homogeneous films.
“The development of a strategy based on dispersion polymerization made it possible to incorporate porphyrin into a polymer matrix in a controlled manner, resulting in continuous, functional films,” explains the researcher. Overcoming this challenge was essential to transforming a scientific concept into a technology with the potential for scaling up.
From College to the Job Market: The Next Step
Although the technology is already a reality in the lab, there is still a long way to go before it appears in commercial products. “The next step is to scale the technology from the lab to pilot production environments,”, says the researcher.
This involves producing larger quantities of the material and validating its performance under real-world conditions. Collaboration with interested companies will be key to advancing toward applications in sensors and flexible photovoltaic systems.
A Commitment to Talent and Mexican Sovereignty
For Dr. Lozada, developing and patenting this technology in Mexico has incalculable strategic value. “Developing domestic technology means generating knowledge, intellectual property, and strategic capabilities within the country,”, he says.
This type of innovation not only reduces technological dependence on foreign sources, but also “fosters the development of specialized talent and strengthens high-value-added sectors” such as advanced materials.
An Opportunity for the Next Generations
Dr. Lozada encourages students to see this field as an exciting prospect, “Because it shows that the electronics of the future can be built using concepts very different from those we traditionally associate with semiconductors,”, he points out. It is a discipline where chemistry, physics, and engineering converge to create flexible and more sustainable devices.
“For a student, this represents an opportunity to participate directly in the creation of new technologies with a real impact, while also contributing to Mexico’s scientific and technological development,” concludes Dr. Lozada Flores.
UP Innovation Ecosystem
Universidad Panamericana has established an institutional ecosystem aimed at transforming scientific and technological knowledge into solutions with economic and social impact. To this end, the university has established the Center for Intellectual Property Management and the Center for Innovation and Technological Development (CINOV), entities that seek to bridge the gap between applied research capabilities and the needs of industry.
Both centers reinforce this institutional commitment to applied research and technology transfer, providing a platform for initiatives such as those led by Drs. Lozada and Sánchez to continue progressing from the initial idea to a tangible impact on society.
Learn more about our research projects at: https://www.up.edu.mx/investigacion-noticias/
