Construction of flexible and stable β-glycine/polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers with unidirectional polarization orientation via electrospinning†

Abstract

Piezoelectric biomaterials have emerged as highly desirable candidates for biomedical applications, owing to their non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, distinguishing them from ceramic and polymer alternatives. However, the primary challenge in the development of piezoelectric biomaterials lies in the absence of effective and convenient methods to attain unidirectional polarization alignment. Here, we report that a β-glycine/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber film with unidirectional polarization orientation was prepared via a simple electrospinning method, and a superior piezoelectric coefficient of 12.7 ± 1.4 pC N⁻¹ was achieved. More importantly, the presence of PVA not only endows the β-glycine nanocrystals confined within PVA nanofibers with outstanding temporal and thermal stability but also imparts flexibility to the β-glycine/PVA nanofiber film. This study provides guidance for the construction of flexible and stable piezoelectric biomaterials with unidirectional polarization orientation, facilitating their biomedical applications in the future.