Eumelanin: From Molecular State to Film

Eumelanin, a macromolecular biopigment, is an attractive candidate for sustainable (green) organic electronics. Establishing structure–property relationships in eumelanin films is an essential step to exploit its technological potential. We report on the evolution from the molecular state to film af...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of physical chemistry. C 2021-02, Vol.125 (6), p.3567-3576
Main Authors: Reali, Manuel, Camus, Anthony, Beaulieu, Guillaume, De Angelis, Jordan, Pellerin, Christian, Pezzella, Alessandro, Santato, Clara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
C: Physical Properties of Materials and Interfaces
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Summary:Eumelanin, a macromolecular biopigment, is an attractive candidate for sustainable (green) organic electronics. Establishing structure–property relationships in eumelanin films is an essential step to exploit its technological potential. We report on the evolution from the molecular state to film after spin coating on silicon dioxide solutions of (5,6)-dihydroxyindole (DHI) and (5,6)-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) eumelanin building blocks (monomers). The evolution of the spin-coated films was studied under various environmental conditions, such as ambient vs an ammonia atmosphere, which catalyzes polymerization. Atomic force microscopy images reveal dramatic morphological changes as a function of the environmental conditions. Infrared and UV–vis spectroscopies indicate that these changes are due to a combination of physical (self-assembly) and chemical (polymerization) processes. Preliminary electrical measurements on films were also carried out.
ISSN:1932-7447
1932-7455
DOI:10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c10063