TY - JOUR
T1 - Piezoactive dense diphenylalanine thin films via solid-phase crystallization
AU - Romanyuk, Konstantin
AU - Slabov, Vladislav
AU - Alikin, Denis
AU - Zelenovskiy, Pavel
AU - Correia, Maria Rosario P.
AU - Keller, Kirill
AU - Ferreira, Rute A.S.
AU - Vasilev, Semen
AU - Kopyl, Svitlana
AU - Kholkin, Andrei
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - Piezoactive biomaterials are currently in the forefront of the worldwide research due to the multitude of applications ranging from implantable biosensors to biocompatible energy harvesters. Among them, biomolecular piezoelectrics based on amino acids and dipeptides (as exemplified by diphenylalanine, FF) are the most studied. Major problem is an inability to control the self-assembly process to produce dense films with controlled orientation and thickness. To overcome this, we propose a novel method of the formation of crystalline piezoactive FF films via solid phase crystallization directly from the amorphous phase. The process starts from the spin-coating of FF monomers in an organic solution. These layers are then exposed to a controlled humidity that triggers nucleation and growth of highly oriented piezoactive areas (domains). The crystallization process proceeds without changing the morphology and results in dense films with controlled thickness. Large ferroelectric-like domains possess uniform piezoresponse of about 30 pm/V with the in-plane polarization. The growth kinetics is controlled by the temperature and humidity, suggesting that fully in-plane oriented films can be obtained. It is hypothetized that the solid-phase crystallization can be applied to other bioorganic piezoelectrics and thus open an avenue for further use of these materials in implantable piezotronics and beyond.
AB - Piezoactive biomaterials are currently in the forefront of the worldwide research due to the multitude of applications ranging from implantable biosensors to biocompatible energy harvesters. Among them, biomolecular piezoelectrics based on amino acids and dipeptides (as exemplified by diphenylalanine, FF) are the most studied. Major problem is an inability to control the self-assembly process to produce dense films with controlled orientation and thickness. To overcome this, we propose a novel method of the formation of crystalline piezoactive FF films via solid phase crystallization directly from the amorphous phase. The process starts from the spin-coating of FF monomers in an organic solution. These layers are then exposed to a controlled humidity that triggers nucleation and growth of highly oriented piezoactive areas (domains). The crystallization process proceeds without changing the morphology and results in dense films with controlled thickness. Large ferroelectric-like domains possess uniform piezoresponse of about 30 pm/V with the in-plane polarization. The growth kinetics is controlled by the temperature and humidity, suggesting that fully in-plane oriented films can be obtained. It is hypothetized that the solid-phase crystallization can be applied to other bioorganic piezoelectrics and thus open an avenue for further use of these materials in implantable piezotronics and beyond.
KW - Diphenylalanine
KW - Piezoelectrics
KW - Solid-statе crystallization
KW - Thin films
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85119428011&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apmt.2021.101261
DO - 10.1016/j.apmt.2021.101261
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85119428011
SN - 2352-9407
VL - 26
JO - Applied Materials Today
JF - Applied Materials Today
M1 - 101261
ER -