Breakthrough in Peptide-Based Piezoelectric Biomaterials for Healthcare Applications
Researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru—an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India—in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, have developed a molecular strategy to create highly efficient piezoelectric biomaterials using peptides. The research addresses the limitation of conventional ceramic piezoelectric materials, which are brittle, environmentally unfriendly, and unsuitable for internal human body applications.
The key discovery involves controlling peptide molecular self-assembly rather than changing the peptide's chemical composition. Researchers found that peptide molecules form nanofibers in water but exhibit no piezoelectric response. However, introducing just one percent of a suitable co-solvent reorganizes the molecules into a highly ordered supramolecular arrangement, instantly switching on a strong piezoelectric response. This transformation occurs because controlled chiral self-assembly aligns molecular dipoles into a non-centrosymmetric structure—the fundamental structural requirement for piezoelectricity.
The engineered peptide nanomaterials achieved a remarkably high piezoelectric coefficient of nearly 30 pm V⁻¹, representing notable performance for peptide-based materials. The research utilized advanced characterization techniques including atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to validate the molecular reorganization and piezoelectric activation.
This technology enables the development of implantable medical devices that can power themselves using body movements such as heartbeat, breathing, or walking. Potential applications include wearable electronics, implantable medical sensors, electronic skin, biosensors, and other next-generation healthcare technologies that harvest energy directly from natural body movements. Beyond biomedical applications, the discovery offers an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional piezoelectric materials and contributes to sustainable soft electronics development.
The research was published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition and was led by Dr. Goutam Ghosh at CeNS together with his PhD scholar Ms. Aparna Ramesh, in collaboration with Mr. Sarbajit Layek, Prof. Neelanjana Sengupta (IISER Kolkata), and Mr. Tarak Nath Das (JNCASR). The work highlights India's growing strength in supramolecular chemistry, combining molecular design, advanced nanoscale characterization, and computational simulations to solve complex scientific challenges.