Revolutionary Energy Tech: Sustainable Power Harnessed from Biomolecular Crystals
A groundbreaking method now enables the eco-friendly generation of electricity from organic materials, potentially revolutionizing how electronic devices are powered.
Advancing Piezoelectric Biomolecular Research
Researchers at the University of Limerick (UL), Ireland, have developed a method to grow organic crystals that harvest energy by applying pressure to amino acid molecules, the building blocks of proteins.
While piezoelectricity, or electricity from pressure, is often linked to ceramics and polymers, it also occurs naturally in biomolecules. The UL team, part of the Actuate Lab, previously used computer models to predict how much electricity biological materials could produce, with potential applications in powering electronics and medical devices.
In a breakthrough published in Physical Review Letters, the team introduced a silicon molding technique to shape crystals for uses such as medical devices and car sensors. Tapping these shapes generates voltage that, when amplified, could charge devices using everyday forces.
“Our low-cost, low-temperature technique opens the door for biomolecular piezoelectrics as eco-friendly, high-performance ceramic alternatives,” said lead author Krishna Hari.
Reducing Environmental Impact
This research, funded by the European Research Council through the Pb-FREE project, has significant environmental implications. UL lecturer and researcher Associate Professor Sarah Guerin, named Research Ireland’s Early Career Researcher of the Year in 2023, highlighted the broader potential of this discovery.
“We hope this methodology transforms solid-state chemistry and inspires others working in sustainable piezoelectrics,” Guerin said. She added that replacing lead-based piezoelectrics with biomolecular alternatives could eliminate 4,000 tons of hazardous electronic waste generated annually.
EU regulations have restricted lead use in many industries, but piezoelectric sensors remain one of the last technologies permitted to include the toxic material due to a lack of viable alternatives. This research offers a promising pathway to eliminating lead from consumer electronics altogether.
Read Original Article: Scitechdaily
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