Piezoelectric Effects in Collagen

Abstract

The direct and converse piezoelectric effects have been observed in the Achilles tendon of ox and horse, which consists of collagen fibers in which the collagen molecules are highly orientated and crystallized. The matrix of piezoelectric constant is concordant with that derived for and unidirectionally oriented system of crystallites of collagen with a hexagonal symmetry. The magnitude of piezoelectric constant is: -d 14=d 25=8.0×10-8, d 15=d 24=4.2×10-8, d 31=d 32=0.26×10-8, d 33=0.2×10-8 c.g.s.e.s.u. respectively, which are the largest values observed in the crystalline polymers. The origin of the effect is supposed due to the polarization or displacement of hydrogen bonds being formed in the polypeptide chains of collagen crystals. The gramophone pick-up can be made by using the thin sheet of tendon as an electromechanical transducer.

Piezoelectric polymers as biomaterials for tissue engineering applications

“…The piezoelectricity of dry tendons was measured [77], as well as the electrical potentials generated in hydrated tendon [78][79], the piezoelectric coefficient decreasing with increasing hydration [80].…”

Electromechanical imaging of biological systems with sub-10nm resolution

“…One of the most common examples of electromechanical coupling in biological systems is piezoelectricity, discovered almost 50 years ago in such dissimilar biomaterials as bones, tendon, and wood. [1][2][3][4] Since then, the direct and converse piezoelectric effect has been observed in most biological materials based on ordered molecular arrays of proteins or polysaccharides. It has been argued that the presence of polar groups, such as -CO-NH-and -CO-O-, coupled with intrinsic chirality of biomolecules, determines the linear electromechanical coupling in these systems.…”

Carbon Nanotubes Engineering Assisted by Natural Biopolymers

“…(Zilberstein, et al 1972;Yamashiro, et al 1989;Fukuda, et al 1957) Molecular level research approved that the those piezoelectricity comes from biopolymers such chitin, collagen, DNA, which reveals that piezoelectricity is a fundamental properties of biological tissues and may comes from the directed dipole of chemical bond in their ordered structure. (Fukada, 1964Ando, 1976;Shamos, 1967). A recent study also show that CNT could reinforce the piezoelectric actuation performance of regenerated cellulose while the reinforced crystalline is in agreement with it.…”