Self-Assembled Chiral Film Based on Melanin Polymers.

Autor: Gaeta M; Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy., Travagliante G; Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy., Barcellona M; Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy., Fragalà ME; Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy., Purrello R; Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy., D'Urso A; Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Chirality [Chirality] 2024 Jun; Vol. 36 (6), pp. e23695.
DOI: 10.1002/chir.23695
Abstrakt: Chirality plays a fundamental role in natural phenomena, yet its manifestation on solid surfaces remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we investigate the formation of chiroptical melanin-based self-assembled films on quartz substrates, leveraging mussel-inspired surface chemistry. Water-soluble porphyrins serve as molecular synthons, facilitating the spontaneous formation of hetero-aggregates in phosphate-buffered saline containing L- or D-DOPA. Spectroscopic analysis reveals chiral transfer from DOPA enantiomers to porphyrin hetero-aggregates, followed by the disruption of these latter and subsequent generation of chiral melanin structures in solution. Quartz substrates inserted into these solutions spontaneously accumulate homogeneous melanin-like films over days, demonstrating the feasibility of self-assembly. The resulting films exhibit characteristic UV/Vis and CD spectra, with distinct signals indicating successful chiral induction. Interestingly, the AFM characterizations reveal a distinct surface morphology, and in addition, some thermal and mechanical properties have been taken into account. Overall, this study sheds light on the formation, stability, and chiroptical properties of melanin-based films, paving the way for their application in various fields.
(© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
Externí odkaz: