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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 7: Poster Session I
BP 7.56: Poster
Monday, March 9, 2026, 15:00–17:00, P5
Direct Measurement and Enhancement of Piezoelectric Fields around Microparticles in an Ultrasound Field — •Mareike Stoll1,2, Honorata Kazimierczak1,2, Peer Fischer1,2, and Athanasios Athanassiadis1,2 — 1Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany — 2Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
There is growing interest in designing ultrasound-responsive materials that broaden the possibilities for non-invasive, remotely controlled therapies. In this context, piezoelectric micro- and nanoparticles are emerging as promising mediators, generating electric fields and reactive chemical species that can interact with biological tissues. Despite growing evidence suggesting macroscopic effects, a direct measurement of the piezoelectric response of individual particles under an applied ultrasound field has not yet been demonstrated. This knowledge gap presents a hurdle to further design and targeting of piezoelectric particle-mediated therapies. In this work, we introduce a new methodology and provide the first direct measurements of electric potential generated by piezoelectric microparticles during ultrasonication. By mapping the time-varying potential around microparticles we are able to quantify the ultrasound-induced fields and identify enhancement strategies. These results provide a first step to disentangling the contributions of different physical processes involved in sonopiezoelectric therapies, and provide insights into the feasibility and design strategies for therapies based on ultrasound-activated piezoelectric materials.
Keywords: Non-Invasive Therapies; Piezoelectric Micro- and Nanoparticles; Direct Piezoelectric Response Measurement; Sonopiezoelectric Therapies