Breakthrough Energy Tech: Eco-Friendly Power From Biomolecular Crystals

By University of Limerick January 23, 2025

Collected at: https://scitechdaily.com/breakthrough-energy-tech-eco-friendly-power-from-biomolecular-crystals/

Researchers have developed a technique for growing piezoelectric biomolecular crystals that could eliminate the use of toxic lead in electronic devices.

This new method allows for the eco-friendly generation of electricity from organic materials, potentially transforming how electronic components are powered.

Piezoelectric Biomolecular Research

Researchers at the University of Limerick in Ireland have developed a new method to grow organic crystals that can harvest energy.

This energy is generated by applying pressure to amino acid molecules, which are the fundamental building blocks of proteins found in the human body.

Piezoelectricity, a term derived from Greek meaning “pressing electricity,” is commonly associated with materials like ceramics and polymers. However, it is also naturally present in human biomolecules.

The research team from the Actuate Lab, part of the Department of Chemical Sciences and the Bernal Institute at UL, previously used advanced computer models to predict how much electricity biological materials can produce when compressed. Their findings suggest that these materials could be used to power sensors in consumer electronics and medical devices.

Molding Technique and Its Applications

This latest breakthrough, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, will allow the researchers to shape the crystals they make using silicon molds into discs or any custom shape required depending on the application, for example, a medical device element versus a phone microphone or car sensor.

Tapping these discs and plates generates a useful voltage that if amplified could be used to charge electronic devices using everyday forces.

Implications and Future of Piezoelectric Materials

Discussing the significance of the development, lead author of the paper and PhD student at UL Krishna Hari explained: “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.”

The research project Pb-FREE: Piezoelectric Biomolecules for Lead-Free, Reliable, Eco-Friendly Electronics is being funded by a European Research Council (ERC) starting grant awarded to Associate Professor Sarah Guerin.

The Potential Environmental Impact

The UL lecturer and researcher, who was named Research Ireland (SFI) Early Career Researcher of the Year in 2023, said she was optimistic about what this latest development could mean for solid-state chemistry.

“We hope it will be a game-changer 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,” explained Associate Professor Guerin.

If successful, the research undertaken by the team at UL also has the potential to remove environmentally damaging materials such as lead from consumer electronics.

“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,” Associate Professor Guerin explained.

“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.”

Reference: “Molded, Solid-State Biomolecular Assemblies with Programmable Electromechanical Properties” by Krishna Hari, Tara Ryan, Suman Bhattacharya and Sarah Guerin, 27 September 2024, Physical Review Letters.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.137001