Aspartame Peptide‐Based Piezoelectric Supramolecular Material Toward Energy Harvesting

ABSTRACT Peptide assemblies with non‐centrosymmetric structures have been developed as piezoelectric supramolecular materials toward nanotechnology. However, the variety of peptide‐based piezoelectric materials remains limited. Herein, for the first time, we have explored the piezoelectric properties of aspartame dipeptide‐based supramolecular crystals toward energy harvesting. The crystal structure indicated that aspartame supramolecular materials form a non‐centrosymmetric structure with hydrophilic channels extending along the b ‐axis, driven by intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Notably, density functional theory (DFT) calculation revealed a significant piezoelectric response of aspartame crystals with a maximum piezoelectric coefficient of 37.9 pC/N. Furthermore, the aspartame crystal‐based piezoelectric device generated an output voltage of ∼0.62 V and a short‐circuit current of ∼2.08 nA under a mechanical force of 50 N. This device maintains stable performance over 10,000 press‐release cycles. This work investigates the piezoelectricity of aspartame‐based crystals, expanding new avenues for the development of peptide‐based piezoelectric supramolecular materials.