Experimental Methods to Get Polydopamine Films: A Comparative Review on the Synthesis Methods, the Films’ Composition and Properties

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 44; no. 16; pp. e2200946 - n/a
• Main Authors: Ball, Vincent, Hirtzel, Jordana, Leks, Guillaume, Frisch, Benoît, Talon, Isabelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.08.2023; Wiley-VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Aeration; Ambient temperature; Catecholamines; Chemical Sciences; comparative properties; Deposition; deposition methods; Dissolved oxygen; Dopamine; Energy conversion; Experimental methods; Oxidants; Oxidizing agents; polydopamine; Polymers; Substrates; versatile coatings; polydopamine; versatile coatings; deposition methods; comparative properties
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200946

In 2007, polydopamine (PDA) films were shown to be formed spontaneously on the surface of all known classes of materials by simply dipping those substrates in an aerated dopamine solution at pH = 8.5 in the presence of Tris(hydroxymethyl) amino methane buffer. This universal deposition method has raised a burst of interest in surface science, owing not only to the universality of this water based one pot deposition method but also to the ease of secondary modifications. Since then, PDA films and particles are shown to have applications in energy conversion, water remediation systems, and last but not least in bioscience. The deposition of PDA films from aerated dopamine solutions is however a slow and inefficient process at ambient temperature with most of the formed material being lost as a precipitate. This incited to explore the possibility to get PDA and related films based on other catecholamines, using other oxidants than dissolved oxygen and other deposition methods. Those alternatives to get PDA and related films are reviewed and compared in this paper. It will appear that many more investigations are required to get better insights in the relationships between the preparation method of PDA and the properties of the obtained coatings. The oxidation of dopamine allows to produce polydopamine (PDA) coatings which adhere to almost all kinds of interfaces, even water/air interfaces. This review article describes the synthesis methods of PDA, using either solution chemistry, oxidation from the solid state, spray deposition, and electrodeposition. It also aims to compare the properties of the obtained coatings. Many research efforts are still required to better understand the structure and properties of PDA coatings (and nanomaterials).