Bioinspired supramolecular fibrillization enables stretchable and biodegradable piezoelectric bioelectronics.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Bioinspired piezoelectricity is crucial for bio-machine interfaces and biomedical applications.
• Current piezoelectric materials often rely on crystallization, which has limitations in biocompatibility, biodegradability, and stretchability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore peptide fibrillization as a novel source of inherent bio-piezoelectricity.
• To develop biocompatible and biodegradable piezoelectric materials with enhanced mechanical properties and programmability.

Main Methods:

• Peptide fibrillization was utilized to create piezoelectric materials.
• A double-network framework was formed with silk fibroin to create fibrous peptide piezogels.
• The piezogels were characterized for their piezoelectric response to compression and stretching.
• A "W"-shaped structural conformation was designed for sensor applications.

Main Results:

• Fibrous peptide piezogels exhibited inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability.
• The piezogels demonstrated programmable piezoelectricity with linear responses to large force compressions and stretches.
• A sensor based on the peptide fibrous piezogel successfully detected limb movements and enabled in situ monitoring of subcutaneous implantation responses.

Conclusions:

• Peptide fibrillization presents a promising alternative to crystallized materials for bio-piezoelectricity.
• The developed peptide piezogels offer tunable piezoelectric properties and excellent mechanical flexibility.
• These findings open new avenues for advanced bio-integrated electronics and real-time biomedical monitoring.