Nanostructured dipeptide self-assemblies exhibiting quantum confinement are of great interest due to their potential applications in the field of materials science as optoelectronic materials for energy harvesting devices. Cyclic dipeptides are an emerging outstanding group of ring-shaped dipeptides, which, because of multiple interactions, self-assemble in supramolecular structures with different morphologies showing quantum confinement and photoluminescence. Chiral cyclic dipeptides may also display piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity properties with potential applications in new sources of nano energy. Among those, aromatic cyclo-dipeptides containing the amino acid tryptophan are wide-band gap semiconductors displaying the high mechanical rigidity, photoluminescence and piezoelectric properties to be used in power generation. In this work, we report the fabrication of hybrid systems based on chiral cyclo-dipeptide L-Tryptophan-L-Tryptophan incorporated into biopolymer electrospun fibers. The micro/nanofibers contain self-assembled nano-spheres embedded into the polymer matrix, are wide-band gap semiconductors with 4.0 eV band gap energy, and display blue photoluminescence as well as relevant piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties with coefficients as high as 57 CN−1 and  35×10−6 Cm−2K−1, respectively. Therefore, the fabricated hybrid mats are promising systems for future thermal sensing and energy harvesting applications.

The potential use of nanostructured dipeptide self-assemblies in materials science for energy harvesting devices is a highly sought-after area of research. Specifically, aromatic cyclo-dipeptides containing tryptophan have garnered attention due to their wide-bandgap semiconductor properties, high mechanical rigidity, photoluminescence, and nonlinear optical behavior. In this study, we present the development of a hybrid system comprising biopolymer electrospun fibers incorporated with the chiral cyclo-dipeptide L-Tryptophan-L-Tyrosine. The resulting nanofibers are wide-bandgap semiconductors (bandgap energy 4.0 eV) and consist of self-assembled nanotubes embedded within a polymer matrix, exhibiting intense blue photoluminescence. Moreover, the cyclo-dipeptide L-Tryptophan-L-Tyrosine incorporated into polycaprolactone nanofibers displays a strong effective second harmonic generation signal of 0.36 pm/V and also shows notable piezoelectric properties with a high effective coefficient of 22 pCN−1. These hybrid systems hold great promise for applications in the field of nanoenergy harvesting and nanophotonics.

Nanostructured dipeptide self-assemblies exhibiting quantum confinement are of great interest due to their potential applications in the field of materials science as optoelectronic materials for energy harvesting devices. Among those, aromatic cyclo-dipeptides containing the amino acid tryptophan are wide-band gap semiconductors displaying high mechanical rigidity, photoluminescence and piezoelectric properties to be used in power generation. In this work, we report the fabrication of hybrid systems based on chiral cyclo-dipeptide L-Tryptophan- L-Tryptophan incorporated into biopolymer electrospun fibers. The micro/nanofibers contain self-assembled nanospheres embedded into the polymer matrix are wide-band gap semiconductors (gap energy 3.8 eV), display blue photoluminescence and relevant piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties with coefficients as high as 57 pCN-1 and 35×10-6 Cm-2k-1, respectively. They are therefore promise systems for thermal sensing and energy harvesting applications.

The potential use of nanostructured dipeptide self-assemblies in materials science for energy harvesting devices is a highly sought-after area of research. Specifically, aromatic cyclo-dipeptides containing tryptophan have garnered attention due to their wide-bandgap semiconductor properties, high mechanical rigidity, photoluminescence, and nonlinear optical behavior. In this study, we present the development of a hybrid system comprising biopolymer electrospun fibers incorporated with the chiral cyclo-dipeptide L-Tryptophan-L-Tyrosine. The resulting nanofibers are wide-bandgap semiconductors (bandgap energy 4.0 eV) consisting of self-assembled nanotubes embedded within a polymer matrix, exhibiting intense blue photoluminescence. Moreover, the cyclo-dipeptide L-Tryptophan-L-Tyrosine incorporated into polycaprolactone nanofibers displays a strong effective second harmonic generation signal of 0.36 pm/V and shows notable piezoelectric properties with a high effective coefficient of 22 pCN−1, a piezoelectric voltage coefficient of geff=1.2 VmN−1 and a peak power density delivered by the nanofiber mat of 0.16μWcm−2. These hybrid systems hold great promise for applications in the field of nanoenergy harvesting and nanophotonics.

Hybrid bionanomaterials were produced through electrospinning, incorporating the dipeptide Boc-L-phenylalanyl-L-leucine into nanofibers of biocompatible polymers (Poly-L-lactic acid, Polycaprolactone, and Poly(methyl methacrylate). Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the uniformity of the nanofibers, with diameters ranging from 0.56 to 1.61 mm. The dielectric properties of the nanofibers were characterized using impedance spectroscopy, assessing temperature and frequency dependencies. Remarkable alterations in nanofiber behavior were observed due to the presence of embedded dipeptides. This study enhances our understanding of the dielectric performance of composite polymeric nanofibers and highlights the influence of dipeptide nanostructures on their dielectric, pyroelectric, and piezoelectric properties. Notably, the composite micro/nanofibers, including Boc-Phe-Leu@PLLA, exhibited semiconducting dielectric behavior with bandgap energies of 4-5 eV. The analysis revealed an increased dielectric constant with temperature, attributed to enhanced charge mobility. Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization confirmed the successful incorporation of the dipeptide in the fibers. The Havriliak-Negami model provided insights into the electric permittivity and revealed the contribution of polaron and ionic conduction, dependent on the polymer matrix. The fibers also demonstrated pyroelectric and piezoelectric responses, with Boc-Phe-Leu@PLLA nanofibers exhibiting the highest piezoelectric coefficient of 85 pC/N. These findings validate the potential of polymeric micro/nanofibers as piezoelectric energy generators for portable and wearable devices.