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Biomimetics
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Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications
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Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2017) | Viewed by 96922

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marco d'Ischia

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, I-80126 Naples, Italy
Interests: structure, synthesis, physicochemical properties, and reactivity of melanins; polydopamine and related bioinspired functional materials for underwater surface functionalization and hybrid nanostructures for bioelectronics and biomedical applications; design, antioxidant properties, and reactivity of bioactive phenolic and quinone compounds; free radical oxidations and nature-inspired redox-active systems for biomedical and technological applications; chemistry and physicochemical properties of natural or bioinspired heterocyclic compounds; bioorganic chemistry of organic sulphur and selenium compounds; model reactions and transformation pathways of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and derivatives of astrochemical relevance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Daniel Ruiz-Molina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2-CSIC), Campus UAB – Edifici ICN2, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: hybrid colloids and surfaces, biomimetic functional nanostructures, and micro- or nanoparticles for smart applications and encapsulation and delivery systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The imitation of Nature’s chemical principles and logic is a major competitive strategy for the design and implementation of innovative molecular devices and systems for advanced technological and biomedical applications. A unique source of inspiration and opportunities in this context is provided by catechols and their derivatives, a specific class group of phenolic compounds that provide the core reactive unit in a number of bioactive compounds and biopolymers. The aim of this Special Issue is to collect together the contributions from different laboratories working on catechol systems. By covering issues from basic chemistry and biochemistry to free radical and computational modeling, new antioxidants, biocompatible structures for coatings, hydrogels and smart polymers for biomedical applications, it provides an updated view of the status quo and perspectives in a rapidly growing field of basic and applied research. The present collection of papers, taking advantage of open access format, is expected to provide a paradigm of the power of biomimetic approaches for discovering new important research avenues and for innovative solutions in biomedicine and technology.
To further its aims of combining basic research and applications, this Special Issue is divided into two main parts:
Part a) Chemistry, covering topics such as: catechol chemistry; o-semiquinone free radicals; quinone synthesis; computational investigation of semiquinone free radicals and complex catechol systems; the thiol o-quinone coupling reaction; antioxidants; catechol quinone biochemistry; dopa chemistry in mussel byssus proteins.
Part b) Applications, including catechol-based functional polymers, mussel-inspired surface functionalization and coatings, catechols for nanotechnological applications, natural catechols in materials science.
We believe that this initiative will fill an important gap in biomimetic chemistry and will stimulate the enthusiastic contributions of leading experts in the field.

Prof. Marco d’Ischia, Dr. Daniel Ruiz-Molina
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • computational studies
  • quinones, semiquinones
  • antioxidants
  • cross-linking
  • free radicals
  • metal chelates
  • biomaterials and biopolymers
  • functional systems
  • sensors

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Editorial

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156 KiB  
Editorial
Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications
by Marco D’Ischia and Daniel Ruiz-Molina
Biomimetics 2017, 2(4), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2040025 - 20 Dec 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4207
Abstract
Catechols are widely found in nature taking part in a variety of biological functions, ranging from the aqueous adhesion of marine organisms to the storage of transition metal ions [...]
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)

Research

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1206 KiB  
Article
Mechanically Reinforced Catechol-Containing Hydrogels with Improved Tissue Gluing Performance
by Jun Feng, Xuan-Anh Ton, Shifang Zhao, Julieta I. Paez and Aránzazu Del Campo
Biomimetics 2017, 2(4), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2040023 - 13 Nov 2017
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 7085
Abstract
In situ forming hydrogels with catechol groups as tissue reactive functionalities are interesting bioinspired materials for tissue adhesion. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)–catechol tissue glues have been intensively investigated for this purpose. Different cross-linking mechanisms (oxidative or metal complexation) and cross-linking conditions (pH, oxidant concentration, [...] Read more.
In situ forming hydrogels with catechol groups as tissue reactive functionalities are interesting bioinspired materials for tissue adhesion. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)–catechol tissue glues have been intensively investigated for this purpose. Different cross-linking mechanisms (oxidative or metal complexation) and cross-linking conditions (pH, oxidant concentration, etc.) have been studied in order to optimize the curing kinetics and final cross-linking degree of the system. However, reported systems still show limited mechanical stability, as expected from a PEG network, and this fact limits their potential application to load bearing tissues. Here, we describe mechanically reinforced PEG–catechol adhesives showing excellent and tunable cohesive properties and adhesive performance to tissue in the presence of blood. We used collagen/PEG mixtures, eventually filled with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. The composite hydrogels show far better mechanical performance than the individual components. It is noteworthy that the adhesion strength measured on skin covered with blood was >40 kPa, largely surpassing (>6 fold) the performance of cyanoacrylate, fibrin, and PEG–catechol systems. Moreover, the mechanical and interfacial properties could be easily tuned by slight changes in the composition of the glue to adapt them to the particular properties of the tissue. The reported adhesive compositions can tune and improve cohesive and adhesive properties of PEG–catechol-based tissue glues for load-bearing surgery applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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2827 KiB  
Article
Copolymerization of a Catechol and a Diamine as a Versatile Polydopamine-Like Platform for Surface Functionalization: The Case of a Hydrophobic Coating
by Salvio Suárez-García, Josep Sedó, Javier Saiz-Poseu and Daniel Ruiz-Molina
Biomimetics 2017, 2(4), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2040022 - 13 Nov 2017
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 8967
Abstract
The covalent functionalization of surfaces with molecules capable of providing new properties to the treated substrate, such as hydrophobicity or bioactivity, has been attracting a lot of interest in the last decades. For achieving this goal, the generation of a universally functionalizable primer [...] Read more.
The covalent functionalization of surfaces with molecules capable of providing new properties to the treated substrate, such as hydrophobicity or bioactivity, has been attracting a lot of interest in the last decades. For achieving this goal, the generation of a universally functionalizable primer coating in one-pot reaction and under relatively mild conditions is especially attractive due to its potential versatility and ease of application. The aim of the present work is to obtain such a functionalizable coating by a cross-linking reaction between pyrocatechol and hexamethylenediamine (HDMA) under oxidizing conditions. For demonstrating the efficacy of this approach, different substrates (glass, gold, silicon, and fabric) have been coated and later functionalized with two different alkylated species (1-hexadecanamine and stearoyl chloride). The success of their attachment has been demonstrated by evaluating the hydrophobicity conferred to the surface by contact angle measurements. Interestingly, these results, together with its chemical characterization by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), have proven that the reactivity of the primer coating towards the functionalizing agent can be tuned in function of its generation time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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20829 KiB  
Article
Kaxiras’s Porphyrin: DFT Modeling of Redox-Tuned Optical and Electronic Properties in a Theoretically Designed Catechol-Based Bioinspired Platform
by Orlando Crescenzi, Marco D’Ischia and Alessandra Napolitano
Biomimetics 2017, 2(4), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2040021 - 7 Nov 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4918
Abstract
A detailed computational investigation of the 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI)-based porphyrin-type tetramer first described by Kaxiras as a theoretical structural model for eumelanin biopolymers is reported herein, with a view to predicting the technological potential of this unique bioinspired tetracatechol system. All possible tautomers/conformers, as [...] Read more.
A detailed computational investigation of the 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI)-based porphyrin-type tetramer first described by Kaxiras as a theoretical structural model for eumelanin biopolymers is reported herein, with a view to predicting the technological potential of this unique bioinspired tetracatechol system. All possible tautomers/conformers, as well as alternative protonation states, were explored for the species at various degrees of oxidation and all structures were geometry optimized at the density functional theory (DFT) level. Comparison of energy levels for each oxidized species indicated a marked instability of most oxidation states except the six-electron level, and an unexpected resilience to disproportionation of the one-electron oxidation free radical species. Changes in the highest energy occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)–lowest energy unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gaps with oxidation state and tautomerism were determined along with the main electronic transitions: more or less intense absorption in the visible region is predicted for most oxidized species. Data indicated that the peculiar symmetry of the oxygenation pattern pertaining to the four catechol/quinone/quinone methide moieties, in concert with the NH centers, fine-tunes the optical and electronic properties of the porphyrin system. For several oxidation levels, conjugated systems extending over two or more indole units play a major role in determining the preferred tautomeric state: thus, the highest stability of the six-electron oxidation state reflects porphyrin-type aromaticity. These results provide new clues for the design of innovative bioinspired optoelectronic materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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3711 KiB  
Article
Cell-Adhesive Bioinspired and Catechol-Based Multilayer Freestanding Membranes for Bone Tissue Engineering
by Maria P. Sousa and João F. Mano
Biomimetics 2017, 2(4), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2040019 - 5 Oct 2017
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 8585
Abstract
Mussels are marine organisms that have been mimicked due to their exceptional adhesive properties to all kind of surfaces, including rocks, under wet conditions. The proteins present on the mussel’s foot contain 3,4-dihydroxy-l-alanine (DOPA), an amino acid from the catechol family that has [...] Read more.
Mussels are marine organisms that have been mimicked due to their exceptional adhesive properties to all kind of surfaces, including rocks, under wet conditions. The proteins present on the mussel’s foot contain 3,4-dihydroxy-l-alanine (DOPA), an amino acid from the catechol family that has been reported by their adhesive character. Therefore, we synthesized a mussel-inspired conjugated polymer, modifying the backbone of hyaluronic acid with dopamine by carbodiimide chemistry. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques confirmed the success of this modification. Different techniques have been reported to produce two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) systems capable to support cells and tissue regeneration; among others, multilayer systems allow the construction of hierarchical structures from nano- to macroscales. In this study, the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique was used to produce freestanding multilayer membranes made uniquely of chitosan and dopamine-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-DN). The electrostatic interactions were found to be the main forces involved in the film construction. The surface morphology, chemistry, and mechanical properties of the freestanding membranes were characterized, confirming the enhancement of the adhesive properties in the presence of HA-DN. The MC3T3-E1 cell line was cultured on the surface of the membranes, demonstrating the potential of these freestanding multilayer systems to be used for bone tissue engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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6948 KiB  
Article
Noncovalent Interactions in the Catechol Dimer
by Vincenzo Barone, Ivo Cacelli, Alessandro Ferretti and Giacomo Prampolini
Biomimetics 2017, 2(3), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2030018 - 13 Sep 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6179
Abstract
Noncovalent interactions play a significant role in a wide variety of biological processes and bio-inspired species. It is, therefore, important to have at hand suitable computational methods for their investigation. In this paper, we report on the contribution of dispersion and hydrogen bonds [...] Read more.
Noncovalent interactions play a significant role in a wide variety of biological processes and bio-inspired species. It is, therefore, important to have at hand suitable computational methods for their investigation. In this paper, we report on the contribution of dispersion and hydrogen bonds in both stacked and T-shaped catechol dimers, with the aim of delineating the respective role of these classes of interactions in determining the most stable structure. By using second-order Møller–Plesset (MP2) calculations with a small basis set, specifically optimized for these species, we have explored a number of significant sections of the interaction potential energy surface and found the most stable structures for the dimer, in good agreement with the highly accurate, but computationally more expensive coupled cluster single and double excitation and the perturbative triples (CCSD(T))/CBS) method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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3820 KiB  
Article
Size Control and Fluorescence Labeling of Polydopamine Melanin-Mimetic Nanoparticles for Intracellular Imaging
by Devang R. Amin, Caroline Sugnaux, King Hang Aaron Lau and Phillip B. Messersmith
Biomimetics 2017, 2(3), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2030017 - 6 Sep 2017
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 9772
Abstract
As synthetic analogs of the natural pigment melanin, polydopamine nanoparticles (NPs) are under active investigation as non-toxic anticancer photothermal agents and as free radical scavenging therapeutics. By analogy to the widely adopted polydopamine coatings, polydopamine NPs offer the potential for facile aqueous synthesis [...] Read more.
As synthetic analogs of the natural pigment melanin, polydopamine nanoparticles (NPs) are under active investigation as non-toxic anticancer photothermal agents and as free radical scavenging therapeutics. By analogy to the widely adopted polydopamine coatings, polydopamine NPs offer the potential for facile aqueous synthesis and incorporation of (bio)functional groups under mild temperature and pH conditions. However, clear procedures for the convenient and reproducible control of critical NP properties such as particle diameter, surface charge, and loading with functional molecules have yet to be established. In this work, we have synthesized polydopamine-based melanin-mimetic nanoparticles (MMNPs) with finely controlled diameters spanning ≈25 to 120 nm and report on the pH-dependence of zeta potential, methodologies for PEGylation, and the incorporation of fluorescent organic molecules. A comprehensive suite of complementary techniques, including dynamic light scattering (DLS), cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), zeta-potential, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, and confocal microscopy, was used to characterize the MMNPs and their properties. Our PEGylated MMNPs are highly stable in both phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and in cell culture media and exhibit no cytotoxicity up to at least 100 µg mL−1 concentrations. We also show that a post-functionalization methodology for fluorophore loading is especially suitable for producing MMNPs with stable fluorescence and significantly narrower emission profiles than previous reports, suggesting they will be useful for multimodal cell imaging. Our results pave the way towards biomedical imaging and possibly drug delivery applications, as well as fundamental studies of MMNP size and surface chemistry dependent cellular interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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2992 KiB  
Article
Examining Potential Active Tempering of Adhesive Curing by Marine Mussels
by Natalie A. Hamada, Victor A. Roman, Steven M. Howell and Jonathan J. Wilker
Biomimetics 2017, 2(3), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2030016 - 21 Aug 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6654
Abstract
Mussels generate adhesives for staying in place when faced with waves and turbulence of the intertidal zone. Their byssal attachment assembly consists of adhesive plaques connected to the animal by threads. We have noticed that, every now and then, the animals tug on [...] Read more.
Mussels generate adhesives for staying in place when faced with waves and turbulence of the intertidal zone. Their byssal attachment assembly consists of adhesive plaques connected to the animal by threads. We have noticed that, every now and then, the animals tug on their plaque and threads. This observation had us wondering if the mussels temper or otherwise control catechol chemistry within the byssus in order to manage mechanical properties of the materials. Here, we carried out a study in which the adhesion properties of mussel plaques were compared when left attached to the animals versus detached and exposed only to an aquarium environment. For the most part, detachment from the animal had almost no influence on the mechanical properties on low-energy surfaces. There was a slight, yet significant difference observed with attached versus detached adhesive properties on high energy surfaces. There were significant differences in the area of adhesive deposited by the mussels on a low- versus a high-energy surface. Mussel adhesive plaques appear to be unlike, for example, spider silk, for which pulling on the material is needed for assembly of proteinaceous fibers to manage properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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2802 KiB  
Article
2-S-Lipoylcaffeic Acid, a Natural Product-Based Entry to Tyrosinase Inhibition via Catechol Manipulation
by Raffaella Micillo, Valeria Pistorio, Elio Pizzo, Lucia Panzella, Alessandra Napolitano and Marco D’Ischia
Biomimetics 2017, 2(3), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2030015 - 10 Aug 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7169
Abstract
Conjugation of naturally occurring catecholic compounds with thiols is a versatile and facile entry to a broad range of bioinspired multifunctional compounds for diverse applications in biomedicine and materials science. We report herein the inhibition properties of the caffeic acid- dihydrolipoic acid S [...] Read more.
Conjugation of naturally occurring catecholic compounds with thiols is a versatile and facile entry to a broad range of bioinspired multifunctional compounds for diverse applications in biomedicine and materials science. We report herein the inhibition properties of the caffeic acid- dihydrolipoic acid S-conjugate, 2-S-lipoylcaffeic acid (LC), on mushroom tyrosinase. Half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 3.22 ± 0.02 and 2.0 ± 0.1 µM were determined for the catecholase and cresolase activity of the enzyme, respectively, indicating a greater efficiency of LC compared to the parent caffeic acid and the standard inhibitor kojic acid. Analysis of the Lineweaver–Burk plot suggested a mixed-type inhibition mechanism. LC proved to be non-toxic on human keratinocytes (HaCaT) at concentrations up to 30 µM. These results would point to LC as a novel prototype of melanogenesis regulators for the treatment of pigmentary disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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5716 KiB  
Article
The Antioxidant Activity of Quercetin in Water Solution
by Riccardo Amorati, Andrea Baschieri, Adam Cowden and Luca Valgimigli
Biomimetics 2017, 2(3), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2030009 - 27 Jun 2017
Cited by 59 | Viewed by 8397
Abstract
Despite its importance, little is known about the absolute performance and the mechanism for quercetin’s antioxidant activity in water solution. We have investigated this aspect by combining differential oxygen-uptake kinetic measurements and B3LYP/6311+g (d,p) calculations. At pH = 2.1 (30 °C), quercetin had [...] Read more.
Despite its importance, little is known about the absolute performance and the mechanism for quercetin’s antioxidant activity in water solution. We have investigated this aspect by combining differential oxygen-uptake kinetic measurements and B3LYP/6311+g (d,p) calculations. At pH = 2.1 (30 °C), quercetin had modest activity (kinh = 4.0 × 103 M−1 s−1), superimposable to catechol. On raising the pH to 7.4, reactivity was boosted 40-fold, trapping two peroxyl radicals in the chromen-4-one core and two in the catechol with kinh of 1.6 × 105 and 7.0 × 104 M−1 s−1. Reaction occurs from the equilibrating mono-anions in positions 4′ and 7 and involves firstly the OH in position 3, having bond dissociation enthalpies of 75.0 and 78.7 kcal/mol, respectively, for the two anions. Reaction proceeds by a combination of proton-coupled electron-transfer mechanisms: electron–proton transfer (EPT) and sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET). Our results help rationalize quercetin’s reactivity with peroxyl radicals and its importance under biomimetic settings, to act as a nutritional antioxidant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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4174 KiB  
Article
Catechol-Containing Hydroxylated Biomimetic 4-Thiaflavanes as Inhibitors of Amyloid Aggregation
by Matteo Ramazzotti, Paolo Paoli, Bruno Tiribilli, Caterina Viglianisi, Stefano Menichetti and Donatella Degl’innocenti
Biomimetics 2017, 2(2), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2020006 - 9 May 2017
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4644
Abstract
The study of compounds able to interfere in various ways with amyloid aggregation is of paramount importance in amyloid research. Molecules characterized by a 4-thiaflavane skeleton have received great attention in chemical, medicinal, and pharmaceutical research. Such molecules, especially polyhydroxylated 4-thiaflavanes, can be [...] Read more.
The study of compounds able to interfere in various ways with amyloid aggregation is of paramount importance in amyloid research. Molecules characterized by a 4-thiaflavane skeleton have received great attention in chemical, medicinal, and pharmaceutical research. Such molecules, especially polyhydroxylated 4-thiaflavanes, can be considered as structural mimickers of several natural polyphenols that have been previously demonstrated to bind and impair amyloid fibril formation. In this work, we tested five different 4-thiaflavanes on the hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) amyloid model for their potential anti-amyloid properties. By combining a thioflavin T assay, atomic force microscopy, and a cell toxicity assay, we demonstrated that such compounds can impair the formation of high-order amyloid aggregates and mature fibrils. Despite this, the tested 4-thiaflavanes, although non-toxic per se, are not able to prevent amyloid toxicity on human neuroblastoma cells. Rather, they proved to block early aggregates in a stable, toxic conformation. Accordingly, 4-thiaflavanes can be proposed for further studies aimed at identifying blocking agents for the study of toxicity mechanisms of amyloid aggregation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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Review

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1951 KiB  
Review
Composite Materials and Films Based on Melanins, Polydopamine, and Other Catecholamine-Based Materials
by Vincent Ball
Biomimetics 2017, 2(3), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2030012 - 6 Jul 2017
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7072
Abstract
Polydopamine (PDA) is related to eumelanins in its composition and structure. These pigments allow the design, inspired by natural materials, of composite nanoparticles and films for applications in the field of energy conversion and the design of biomaterials. This short review summarizes the [...] Read more.
Polydopamine (PDA) is related to eumelanins in its composition and structure. These pigments allow the design, inspired by natural materials, of composite nanoparticles and films for applications in the field of energy conversion and the design of biomaterials. This short review summarizes the main advances in the design of PDA-based composites with inorganic and organic materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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2918 KiB  
Review
Catechol-Based Hydrogel for Chemical Information Processing
by Eunkyoung Kim, Zhengchun Liu, Yi Liu, William E. Bentley and Gregory F. Payne
Biomimetics 2017, 2(3), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics2030011 - 3 Jul 2017
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 8286
Abstract
Catechols offer diverse properties and are used in biology to perform various functions that range from adhesion (e.g., mussel proteins) to neurotransmission (e.g., dopamine), and mimicking the capabilities of biological catechols have yielded important new materials (e.g., polydopamine). It is well known that [...] Read more.
Catechols offer diverse properties and are used in biology to perform various functions that range from adhesion (e.g., mussel proteins) to neurotransmission (e.g., dopamine), and mimicking the capabilities of biological catechols have yielded important new materials (e.g., polydopamine). It is well known that catechols are also redox-active and we have observed that biomimetic catechol-modified chitosan films are redox-active and possess interesting molecular electronic properties. In particular, these films can accept, store and donate electrons, and thus offer redox-capacitor capabilities. We are enlisting these capabilities to bridge communication between biology and electronics. Specifically, we are investigating an interactive redox-probing approach to access redox-based chemical information and convert this information into an electrical modality that facilitates analysis by methods from signal processing. In this review, we describe the broad vision and then cite recent examples in which the catechol–chitosan redox-capacitor can assist in accessing and understanding chemical information. Further, this redox-capacitor can be coupled with synthetic biology to enhance the power of chemical information processing. Potentially, the progress with this biomimetic catechol–chitosan film may even help in understanding how biology uses the redox properties of catechols for redox signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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Other

1 pages, 150 KiB  
Erratum
Erratum: Catechol-Based Hydrogel for Chemical Information Processing. Biomimetics 2017, 2, 11
by Eunkyoung Kim, Zhengchun Liu, Yi Liu, William E. Bentley and Gregory F. Payne
Biomimetics 2018, 3(2), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics3020009 - 7 May 2018
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3159
Abstract
It was brought to our attention that there were errors in the original publication by Kim et al. [1]. [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Catechol-Based Systems: Chemistry and Applications)
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