Ferroelectric hydrogels from amino acids and oleic acid.

ABSTRACT: Ferroelectric bio-based materials with a high water content (≈90 wt %) were not previously developed. Here, we develop hydrogels containing ≈90 wt % water, amino acids (lysine and arginine) and oleic acid. The NH and CH groups of lysine hydrogen bond water, as shown by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, yielding electrically conductive solutions. Lysine also interacts with oleic acid, yielding hard materials with a lamellar crystal structure, as revealed by synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering. Polarized light microscopy and shear rheology show that aqueous mixtures of amino acids and oleic acid are birefringent gels. These gels have a columnar, hexagonal crystal structure with 54-85 wt % water, and a bi-continuous sponge crystal structure with 89 wt 

SUBMITTER: Pensini E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11396064 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature