Nanoscale structures and materials have been explored in many biological applications because of their novel and impressive physical and chemical properties. Such properties allow remarkable opportunities to study and interact with complex biological processes. This book analyses the state of the art of piezoelectric nanomaterials and introduces their applications in the biomedical field. Despite their impressive potentials, piezoelectric materials have not yet received significant attention for bio-applications. This book shows that the exploitation of piezoelectric nanoparticles in nanomedicine is possible and realistic, and their impressive physical properties can be useful for several applications, ranging from sensors and transducers for the detection of biomolecules to “sensible” substrates for tissue engineering or cell stimulation.

Scientifically defined in 1880 by the Curie brothers, piezoelectricity - from the Greek piezein, meaning to press (squeeze), and ilektron, meaning amber, a material with electrostatic properties - is a phenomenon with many applications. The related piezoelectric materials have been undergoing a long-lasting evolution over the years until today. The field of organic and inorganic piezoelectric materials is continuously expanding in terms of new substances used, new structures, and new applications. The seven chapters of this book present modern aspects and technological advances in the field of piezoelectric materials and applications. To present a balanced view of the field, some chapters focus on new piezoelectric materials and structures, while others examine interesting applications of piezoelectric sensors, energy harvesters, and actuators.

The transformation of vibrations into electric energy through the use of piezoelectric devices is an exciting and rapidly developing area of research with a widening range of applications constantly materialising. With Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting, world-leading researchers provide a timely and comprehensive coverage of the electromechanical modelling and applications of piezoelectric energy harvesters. They present principal modelling approaches, synthesizing fundamental material related to mechanical, aerospace, civil, electrical and materials engineering disciplines for vibration-based energy harvesting using piezoelectric transduction. Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting provides the first comprehensive treatment of distributed-parameter electromechanical modelling for piezoelectric energy harvesting with extensive case studies including experimental validations, and is the first book to address modelling of various forms of excitation in piezoelectric energy harvesting, ranging from airflow excitation to moving loads, thus ensuring its relevance to engineers in fields as disparate as aerospace engineering and civil engineering. Coverage includes: Analytical and approximate analytical distributed-parameter electromechanical models with illustrative theoretical case studies as well as extensive experimental validations Several problems of piezoelectric energy harvesting ranging from simple harmonic excitation to random vibrations Details of introducing and modelling piezoelectric coupling for various problems Modelling and exploiting nonlinear dynamics for performance enhancement, supported with experimental verifications Applications ranging from moving load excitation of slender bridges to airflow excitation of aeroelastic sections A review of standard nonlinear energy harvesting circuits with modelling aspects.

This book highlights the evolution of, and novel challenges currently facing, nanomaterials science, nanoengineering, and nanotechnology, and their applications and development in the biological and biomedical fields. It details different nanoscale and nanostructured materials syntheses, processing, characterization, and applications, and considers improvements that can be made in nanostructured materials with their different biomedical applications. The book also briefly covers the state of the art of different nanomaterials design, synthesis, fabrication and their potential biomedical applications. It will be particularly useful for reading and research purposes, especially for science and engineering students, academics, and industrial researchers.

Here the renowned editor Evgeny Katz has chosen contributions that cover a wide range of examples and issues in implantable bioelectronics, resulting in an excellent overview of the topic. The various implants covered include biosensoric and prosthetic devices, as well as neural and brain implants, while ethical issues, suitable materials, biocompatibility, and energy-harvesting devices are also discussed. A must-have for both newcomers and established researchers in this interdisciplinary field that connects scientists from chemistry, material science, biology, medicine, and electrical engineering.

Starting from the fundamentals, this book provides a concise yet complete treatment of piezoelectric materials, an important class of smart materials which are useful as both actuators and sensors. Including case studies, the text introduces different types of dielectric materials, describes the preparation and properties of various piezoelectric materials used in device applications, and presents various engineering and medical applications of piezoelectric materials. It also discusses in detail the design and virtual prototyping of piezoelectric devices using commercially available software tools like ANSYS and PAFEC.

Novel Nanomaterials for Biomedical, Environmental, and Energy Applications is a comprehensive study on the cutting-edge progress in the synthesis and characterization of novel nanomaterials and their subsequent advances and uses in biomedical, environmental and energy applications. Covering novel concepts and key points of interest, this book explores the frontier applications of nanomaterials. Chapters discuss the overall progress of novel nanomaterial applications in the biomedical, environmental and energy fields, introduce the synthesis, characterization, properties and applications of novel nanomaterials, discuss biomedical applications, and cover the electrocatalytical and photothermal effects of novel nanomaterials for efficient energy applications. The book will be invaluable to academic researchers and biomedical clinicians working with nanomaterials. - Offers comprehensive details on novel and emerging nanomaterials - Presents a comprehensive view of new and emerging tactics for the synthesis of efficient nanomaterials - Describes and monitors the functions of applications of new and emerging nanomaterials in the biomedical, environmental and energy fields

The application of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) in the biomedical field is leading to a new generation of medical devices. MEMS for biomedical applications reviews the wealth of recent research on fabrication technologies and applications of this exciting technology.The book is divided into four parts: Part one introduces the fundamentals of MEMS for biomedical applications, exploring the microfabrication of polymers and reviewing sensor and actuator mechanisms. Part two describes applications of MEMS for biomedical sensing and diagnostic applications. MEMS for in vivo sensing and electrical impedance spectroscopy are investigated, along with ultrasonic transducers, and lab-on-chip devices. MEMS for tissue engineering and clinical applications are the focus of part three, which considers cell culture and tissue scaffolding devices, BioMEMS for drug delivery and minimally invasive medical procedures. Finally, part four reviews emerging biomedical applications of MEMS, from implantable neuroprobes and ocular implants to cellular microinjection and hybrid MEMS.With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, MEMS for biomedical applications provides an authoritative review for scientists and manufacturers involved in the design and development of medical devices as well as clinicians using this important technology. - Reviews the wealth of recent research on fabrication technologies and applications of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) in the biomedical field - Introduces the fundamentals of MEMS for biomedical applications, exploring the microfabrication of polymers and reviewing sensor and actuator mechanisms - Considers MEMS for biomedical sensing and diagnostic applications, along with MEMS for in vivo sensing and electrical impedance spectroscopy

The fundamental principle of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics were introduced by Wang in 2007 and 2010, respectively. Due to the polarization of ions in a crystal that has non-central symmetry in materials, such as the wurtzite structured ZnO, GaN and InN, a piezoelectric potential (piezopotential) is created in the crystal by applying a stress. Owing to the simultaneous possession of piezoelectricity and semiconductor properties, the piezopotential created in the crystal has a strong effect on the carrier transport at the interface/junction. Piezotronics is for devices fabricated using the piezopotential as a “gate” voltage to control charge carrier transport at a contact or junction. The piezo-phototronic effect uses the piezopotential to control the carrier generation, transport, separation and/or recombination for improving the performance of optoelectronic devices, such as photon detector, solar cell and LED. The functionality offered by piezotroics and piezo-phototronics are complimentary to CMOS technology. There is an effective integration of piezotronic and piezo-phototronic devices with silicon based CMOS technology. Unique applications can be found in areas such as human-computer interfacing, sensing and actuating in nanorobotics, smart and personalized electronic signatures, smart MEMS/NEMS, nanorobotics and energy sciences. This book introduces the fundamentals of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics and advanced applications. It gives guidance to researchers, engineers and graduate students.

Smart Nanoparticles for Biomedicine explores smart nanoparticles that change their structural or functional properties in response to specific external stimuli (electric or magnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, ultrasound, etc.). Particular attention is given to multifunctional nanostructured materials that are pharmacologically active and that can be actuated by virtue of their magnetic, dielectric, optically-active, redox-active, or piezoelectric properties. This important reference resource will be of great value to readers who want to learn more on how smart nanoparticles can be used to create more effective treatment solutions. Nanotechnology has enabled unprecedented control of the interactions between materials and biological entities, from the microscale, to the molecular level. Nanosurfaces and nanostructures have been used to mimic or interact with biological microenvironments, to support specific biological functions, such as cell adhesion, mobility and differentiation, and in tissue healing. Recently, a new paradigm has been proposed for nanomedicine to exploit the intrinsic properties of nanomaterials as active devices rather than as passive structural units or carriers for medications. - Discusses the synthesis, characterization and applications of a new generation of smart nanoparticles for nanomedicine applications - Explores the problems relating to the biocompatibility of a range of nanoparticles, outlining potential solutions - Describes techniques for manipulating specific classes of nanoparticles for a variety of treatment types