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Interface-governed electromechanical coupling in bioinspired hierarchical piezoelectric poly(L-lactide) architectures
Martina Žabčić1,2, Lea Gazvoda1, Masoumeh Sepideh Salehidashtbayaz3
1Advanced Materials Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia. marija.vukomanovic@ijs.si.
Materials Horizons
|April 7, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a new bioinspired piezoelectric polymer that uses plasma-engineered interfaces to enhance ultrasound-driven energy conversion. This novel material effectively stimulates cells, showing promise for regenerative medicine and bioelectronics.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Bioelectronics
Background:
- Bioinspired materials leverage hierarchical structures and active interfaces for mechanotransduction.
- Mimicking interface-governed mechanotransduction in synthetic soft matter is challenging for electromechanical biomaterials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a hierarchical piezoelectric polymer architecture with plasma-engineered interfaces for enhanced electromechanical coupling.
- To demonstrate ultrasound-driven energy transduction and its biological applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a hierarchical piezoelectric polymer by directly bonding two poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) layers with distinct morphologies via plasma-assisted surface activation.
- Utilizing ultrasound excitation to induce mechanical energy concentration at the plasma-engineered interface.
- Assessing the piezoelectric response and biological effects on human keratinocytes.
Main Results:
- The plasma-engineered interface concentrated mechanical energy under ultrasound, leading to enhanced shear deformation and a synergistically amplified piezoelectric response.
- The interface-dominated electromechanical coupling efficiently translated to biological systems via an extracellular-matrix-mimetic fibrous surface.
- Ultrasound-activated piezostimulation promoted enhanced human keratinocyte adhesion, proliferation, and cytoskeletal organization.
Conclusions:
- Chemically programmed interfaces represent a new design strategy for electromechanical energy transduction in bioinspired materials.
- This work establishes a new paradigm for adaptive piezoelectric surfaces and interfaces.
- The developed material has broad relevance for bioelectronics, regenerative medicine, and dynamic tissue engineering.
