The revolution of future electronics passes through wood waste. A University of Pisa research team has demonstrated that lignin—one of the main components of wood and, at the same time, one of the largest byproducts of industrial processes used to produce cellulose and paper—can be transformed into a useful material for storing and releasing energy on a microscopic level. The study, published in the international journal "Journal of Materials Chemistry A", is the product of a partnership that included the CNR (National Research Council) (Bari and Salerno), the University of Salerno, and the University of Vigo. Lignin is the natural "glue" that gives wood its strength; it is abundant in plants and accounts for roughly 25% of woody biomass. Yet, despite its abundance, it remains underutilized due to its complexity of processing, despite its abundance of chemical groups that can interact with electrical charges. To test it in real-world situations, researchers used lignin as an active layer in microcircuits to retain and release charges. The most promising outcome pertains to "microsupercapacitors", which are essentially "extremely fast" micro-accumulators that charge rapidly and provide energy almost instantaneously. These devices are well-suited for miniaturized applications, including biomedical devices, environmental sensors, and wearable technologies.