MXene-Based RFID Tags for Plastic Waste Sorting
Kevin Sun · Andover, Massachusetts
Craig R. Barrett Award for Innovation ($10,000) · Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair · 2026
Radio-frequency identification tags printed from conductive MXene material that identify a plastic's type during sorting and then dissolve during standard recycling instead of contaminating the output stream.
The disposal path is designed in. Most tagging schemes solve identification and quietly create a contamination problem; this one treats end-of-life as part of the specification.
- MXene conductive material synthesis
- RFID tag fabrication
- Polymer identification by tag response
- Dissolution testing under recycling conditions
- Design the failure state, not just the working state — where does your device go afterwards?
- A solution that creates a second problem downstream will be asked about, so answer it in the design
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