Water mediated dielectric polarizability and electron charge transport properties of high resistance natural fibers

Recent studies showed that silk and human hair fibers develop thermoelectric properties at optimal water, temperature and light conditions. The nature of charge carriers and the role of water in mediating charge conduction in these fibers is an unexplored issue. By studying four different classes of natural fibers, viz., silk cocoon, human hair, jute and corn silk, we uncover their common electrical transport properties and its dependence on water concentration and temperature. All these fibers uniformly exhibit nonlinear, hysteretic current - voltage characteristics, which scale with water concentration. The optimal electrical conductivity shows thermally activated hopping transport mechanism. Scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and dielectric measurements of silk cocoon fibers showed the electronic density of states and dielectric properties of the hydrated medium enhances with water concentration. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study reveals that the charge carriers in these membranes are electronic in nature. Our results are explained through the mechanism of hopping of a Polaron, which is an electron surrounded by positive charge fluctuations created by water molecules. The mechanism unravels the peculiar role water plays in mediating electrical activity in these membranes and also opens the possibility for exploring such charge transport mechanism in other biological membranes.