Scientists proposed glycine as an element of medical electronics
Scientists from MIET as part of an international group of scientists were able to enhance the piezoelectric effect in glycine crystals. According to them, mechanical polishing of this amino acid modification makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the piezoelectric response three to five times compared to conventional crystals. This is important for the creation of small-sized biocompatible electromechanical devices, the researchers explained. The results are published in the Physica Scripta journal.
The development of micro- and nano electrical devices compatible with the human body is important in high-tech medicine. For example, studies have shown that electrostimulation of cells accelerates wound healing, and embedding electrical elements in various implants improves their controllability, MIET scientists said.
They explained that polymers and composites with a sufficient affinity to human tissues are now used for the manufacture of such electronics, but the closest to the body are those materials that are made from compounds present in the human body in large quantities.
Glycine is an example of such substance. It is the simplest amino acid that is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and is present in many proteins of living organisms. In the solid state, it is in the form of crystals, which may have different internal structures.
Some crystalline substances exhibit the piezoelectric effect, thus they are able to conduct current when mechanical force is applied, for example, compression. Also, the movement of charged particles can form in ordered structures when the temperature rises. This effect is called ferroelectric, experts explained.
Researchers from MIET and MIREA Russian Technological University, together with scientists from Portugal and the Netherlands, have developed a way to increase the electrical "efficiency" of γ-glycine crystals by mechanical polishing.
"The crystals polished at the molecular level demonstrated improved piezoelectric and ferroelectric activity and more efficient switching under the influence of an electric field," explained Maxim Silibin, associate professor at the MIET's Institute of Advanced Materials and Technologies.
He said that mechanical polishing of γ-glycine improves its piezoelectric properties, therefore this can lead to increased sensitivity of sensors and efficiency of devices for energy collection. The amplification of the piezoelectric effect depends on the direction of the applied pressure: along one axis it increases three times, five times if perpendicularly.
"Understanding and controlling the processes in γ-glycine crystals will make devices for direct exchange of information with impulses of the nervous system and brain possible," explained Maxim Silibin.
In the future, the research team from MIET and MIREA plans to conduct additional studies on other mechanical or chemical methods of processing γ-glycine and similar materials to optimize their piezo- and ferroelectric properties.
MIET participates in the state support program for Russian universities "Priority-2030" of the national project "Science and Universities".
Source: RIA Novosti