Biological applications of ferroelectric materials

TL;DR

This review explores the emerging use of ferroelectric materials in biomedicine, highlighting their unique properties, experimental evidence of biological effects, and potential applications in cell and tissue engineering.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the physics, experimental findings, and biophysical mechanisms of ferroelectric materials in biological contexts, setting the stage for future research.

Findings

Experimental proof of biological modulation by ferroelectrics

Advantages include biocompatibility and scalable electroactive regions

Potential applications in cell signaling and tissue regeneration

Abstract

The study and applications of ferroelectric materials in the biomedical and biotechnological fields is a novel and very promising scientific area that spans roughly one decade. However, some groups have already provided experimental proof of very interesting biological modulation when living systems are exposed to different ferroelectrics and excitation mechanisms. These materials should offer several advantages in the field of bioelectricity, such as no need of an external electric power source or circuits, scalable size of the electroactive regions, flexible and reconfigurable virtual electrodes, or fully proved biocompatibility. In this focused review we provide the underlying physics of ferroelectric activity and a recount of the research reports already published, along with some tentative biophysical mechanisms that can explain the observed results. More specifically, we focused on the biological actions of domain ferroelectrics, and ferroelectrics excited by the bulk photovoltaic effect or the pyroelectric effect. It is our goal to provide a comprehensive account of the published material so far, and to set the stage for a vigorous expansion of the field, with envisioned applications that span from cell biology and signaling to cell and tissue regeneration, antitumoral action, or cell bioengineering to name a few.