According to a study published in the journal Physical Review Letters, researchers at the University of Limerick have created a novel technique for growing organic crystals that could be used in energy-harvesting applications.
PhD student Tara Ryan, Associate Professor Sarah Guerin, PhD student Krishna Hari and Dr Suman Bhattacharya pictured in the Bernal Institute at University of Limerick. Image Credit: University of Limerick
The energy harvested as part of this research is generated by squeezing amino acid molecules, the building blocks of proteins found in the human body.
Piezoelectricity, which translates from Greek as “pressing electricity,” is found in human biomolecules, ceramics, and polymers.
The research team from UL’s Bernal Institute and Actuate Lab in the Department of Chemical Sciences has previously used predictive computer models to determine how much electricity a biological material will produce when squeezed, making it appropriate for powering sensors in consumer electronics and medical devices.
With this most recent development, the researchers can mold the crystals they create using silicon molds into discs or any other unique shape needed for the application, such as a medical device component versus a phone microphone or car sensor.
Using common forces, tapping these discs and plates produces a useful voltage that, if amplified, might be used to charge electronic devices.
The versatile molding technique that we have developed is a low-cost, low-temperature growth method that opens the path to phase in biomolecular piezoelectrics as high-performance, eco-friendly alternatives to currently used ceramics.
Krishna Hari, Study Lead Author and PhD Student, University of Limerick
Associate Professor Sarah Guerin is the recipient of a European Research Council (ERC) starting grant for the study Pb-FREE: Piezoelectric Biomolecules for Lead-Free, Reliable, Eco-Friendly Electronics.
The 2023 Research Ireland (SFI) Early Career Researcher of the Year, a researcher and lecturer at UL, expressed optimism about the potential implications of this recent breakthrough for solid-state chemistry.
We hope it will be a gamechanger for the whole field because there are many scientists trying to grow biological crystals that are still behaving in a chaotic way. I am excited to see if this takes off as a methodology for other people working in sustainable piezoelectrics.
Sarah Guerin, Associate Professor, University of Limerick
If successful, the UL team’s research might also remove environmentally dangerous materials like lead from consumer devices.
Guerin added, “There are EU regulations around the use of lead, but piezoelectrics are one of the last remaining mainstream technologies allowed to contain this substance because there is no high-performance alternative. There are about 4,000 tons of lead-based electronic waste generated from these sensors every year, and this research has the potential to remove this waste from the manufacturing process.”
Journal Reference:
Hari, K. et. al. (2024) Molded, Solid-State Biomolecular Assemblies with Programmable Electromechanical Properties. Physical Review Letters. doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.137001