Recently, teachers and students from the School of Mechanical Engineering have made innovative progress in the field of topology reshaping of biological piezoelectric materials. The relevant achievements were published in Advanced Materials (commonly known as "Advanced Materials") under the title "Topology in Biological Piezoelectric Materials". Jiangsu University is the first completing unit of this paper. Chen Chen, a master's student from the School of Mechanical Engineering, is the first author of the paper. The collaborators include Dr. Zheng Yi from City University of Hong Kong, master's students Zhang Yi and Liu Hongyi from Jiangsu University, Professor Wu Jiang from Shandong University, and Dr. Yang Jing from Cranfield University. Associate Professor Zhang Yanhu from the School of Mechanical Engineering and Professor Yang Zhengbao from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology are the co-corresponding authors.

The application potential of biological piezoelectric materials has become increasingly prominent, but existing design and optimization strategies face challenges, especially the significant deficiency in the precise regulation of micro-nano structures. After polarization of piezoelectric materials, domain structures with different orientations are formed inside, and the spatial arrangement mode and distribution state of domain walls constitute the micro-topological configuration of the material. The distribution characteristics of domain walls are closely related to the electro-mechanical coupling properties of the material, and these coupling properties determine the functional response capability of piezoelectric materials. Against this background, topology—as a mathematical tool for studying geometric forms and spatial structures—provides an in-depth descriptive framework. It can not only characterize the interconnection mode and spatial arrangement law of domains inside the material, but also explain how this micro-topological structure affects the piezoelectric response and its stability.

Aiming at the core technical bottlenecks faced by current biological piezoelectric materials in terms of energy conversion efficiency, long-term service stability and biocompatibility, this review systematically discusses the regulatory mechanism and far-reaching impact of topological structure design on the performance and function of biological piezoelectric materials. It focuses on introducing cutting-edge response strategies such as multi-scale collaborative design, machine learning-driven topology optimization, and high-precision preparation process innovation. Furthermore, it explores the specific application prospects and accompanying challenges of topology-optimized biological piezoelectric materials in biomedical fields such as health monitoring, biosensing, energy harvesting and targeted therapy. Finally, it looks forward to the future research directions in this field, aiming to provide a new theoretical framework and technical route for promoting the innovation and development of biological piezoelectric materials.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51705210), the Jiangsu Postdoctoral Research Funding Program (No. 2019K195), the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Joint Innovation Project (No. SGDX20190919102801693), the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Project No.: MHP / 013 / 23).

Figure 1. Key Milestones in Topological Structure and Biological Piezoelectric Materials

Figure 2. Comparative Schematic Diagram of Topological Strategies in Biological Piezoelectric Systems

Figure 3. Intelligent Structure Optimization and Advanced Manufacturing Technology for Enhancing Topological Design of Biological Piezoelectric Materials

Figure 4. Optimization Strategies and Performance Prediction in Biological Piezoelectric Materials

Figure 5. Potential Applications and Interrelationships of Biological Piezoelectric Materials

Original Article Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202500466