Engineered Coatings via the Assembly of Amino‐Quinone Networks

L-DOPA Promotes Functional Proliferation Through GPR143, Specific L-DOPA Receptor of Astrocytes

l-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (levodopa and L-DOPA in this text), alongside dopamine, boasts high biocompatibility, prompting industrial demand for its use as a coating material. Indeed, the effectiveness of L-DOPA is steadily rising as it serves as an oral therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative brain diseases, particularly Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the effects of L-DOPA on the growth and function of astrocytes, the main glial cells, and the most numerous glial cells in the brain, are unknown. Here, we investigated whether L-DOPA is possible as a coating material on cover glass and polystyrene for rat primary astrocytes. The coating state of L-DOPA on the cover glass and polystyrene was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and static water contact angle (WCA). Interestingly, L-DOPA coated on the cover glass promoted the proliferation of astrocytes but not neurons. Furthermore, L-DOPA coated on the cover glass, as opposed to polystyrene, facilitated the proliferation of the astrocytes. The astrocytes grown on L-DOPA-coated cover glasses exhibited functional receptor-activated Ca2+ transients through the activation of protease-activated receptor subtype 1 (PAR-1), recognized as an astrocytic functional marker. However, cover glass coated with 0, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 μg/mL L-DOPA maintained astrocyte viability, while supplementation with 500 and 1000 μM L-DOPA significantly decreased astrocyte viability. This suggests that treatments with free 500 and 1000 μM L-DOPA significantly reduced the number of astrocytes. Both Pimozide, an inhibitor of G protein-coupled receptor 143 (GPR143), also known as Ocular albinism type 1 (OA1), and CCG2046, an inhibitor of regulator of G protein signaling 4 (RGS4), reduced the viability of astrocytes on cover glass coated with L-DOPA compared to astrocytes on cover glass coated with poly-d-lysine (PDL). This suggests that L-DOPA promotes astrocyte proliferation through activation of the GPR143 signaling pathway. These findings imply that L-DOPA proliferates functional astrocytes through the activation of GPR143. These results are the first report that L-DOPA coating cover glass proliferates rat primary astrocytes with the activation of GPR143. The discovery that levodopa enhances cell adhesion can significantly influence research in multiple ways. It provides insights into cell behavior, disease mechanisms, and potential therapeutic applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Additionally, it offers opportunities to explore novel approaches for improving cell-based therapies and tissue regeneration. Overall, this finding opens up new avenues for research, with broad implications across various scientific fields.

Enhancing the Interfacial Property Between UHMWPE Fibers and Epoxy Through Polydopamine and SiO2 Surface Modification

Here, a combination of dopamine self-polymerization and epoxy modified SiO2 (M-SiO2) grafting was proposed, with the purpose of increasing interfacial adhesion of UHMWPE fiber. Inspired by mussel adhesion, polydopamine (PDA) was deposited onto the surface of UHMWPE fiber to form a thin layer with amino and hydroxyl groups. M-SiO2 nanoparticles were then adhered to fiber surface via chemical reactions by a "two-step" or "one-step" technology. In the "two-step" technique, the M-SiO2 nanoparticles were adhered to the surface of PDA modified UHMWPE fiber via reactions between epoxy and amino groups. In the "one-step" method, M-SiO2 and dopamine were added into the UHMWPE/Tris solution at the same time. Surface morphology and thermal properties of various UHMWPE fibers were tested by SEM and TGA, respectively. Surface wettability of different UHMWPE fibers were evaluated by dynamic contact angle. The results proved that PDA and M-SiO2 were successfully adhered to the surface of UHMWPE fibers. The mechanical property of modified UHMWPE/Epoxy composites was investigated, and 43.7 % improvement was obtained, compared with unmodified UHMWPE/Epoxy composite. Additionally, micro-bond test revealed that the interfacial property (IFSS value) of modified UHMWPE fiber via the "one-step" method was 6.08 MPa, significantly higher than that of unmodified UHMWPE fiber (2.47 MPa).

Supramolecular H-Aggregates of Squaraines with Enhanced Type I Photosensitization for Combined Photodynamic and Photothermal Therapy

Combined photodynamic and photothermal therapy (PDT and PTT) can achieve more superior therapeutic effects than the sole mode by maximizing the photon utilization, but there remains a significant challenge in the development of related single-molecule photosensitizers (PSs), particularly those with type I photosensitization. In this study, self-assembly of squaraine dyes (SQs) is shown to be a promising strategy for designing PSs for combined type I PDT and PTT, and a supramolecular PS (TPE-SQ7) has been successfully developed through subtle molecular design of an indolenine SQ, which can self-assemble into highly ordered H-aggregates in aqueous solution as well as nanoparticles (NPs). In contrast to the typical quenching effect of H-aggregates on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, our results encouragingly manifest that H-aggregates can enhance type I ROS (•OH) generation by facilitating the intersystem crossing process while maintaining a high PTT performance. Consequently, TPE-SQ7 NPs with ordered H-aggregates not only exhibit superior combined therapeutic efficacy than the well-known PS (Ce6) under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions but also have excellent biosafety, making them have important application prospects in tumor phototherapy and antibacterial fields. This study not only proves that the supramolecular self-assembly of SQs is an effective strategy toward high-performance PSs for combined type I PDT and PTT but also provides a different understanding of the effect of H-aggregates on the PDT performance.

Tailoring Surface Engineering with Expanded Precursor Libraries via Rapid Mussel-Inspired Chemistry

Mussel-inspired coating is a substrate-independent surface modification technology. However, its application is limited by time-consuming, tailoring specific functions require tedious secondary reaction. To overcome those drawbacks, a strategy for the rapid fabrication of diverse coatings by expanding the library of precursors using oxidation coupled with polyamine was proposed. Based on DFT simulations of the reaction pathways, a method was developed to achieve rapid deposition of coatings by coupling oxidation and polyamines, which simultaneously accelerated the oxidation of precursors and polymer chain growth. The feasibility and generalizability of the strategy was validated by the rapid coating of 10 catechol derivatives and polyamines on various substrates. The surface properties of the substrates such as functional group densities, Zeta potential and contact angles can be easily tuned. The tailored surface engineering application of the strategy was demonstrated by the heavy metal adsorbents and superwetting materials prepared through the delicate combination of different building blocks. Our strategy was flexible in terms of diverse surface engineering design which greatly enriched the connotation of mussel-inspired technique.

Nanozyme-integrated alcogel colorimetric sensor for rapid and on-site detection of tert-butyl hydroquinone

Tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) stand as one of the most widely used antioxidants in food and daily chemical products. Rapid and sensitive monitoring of TBHQ holds considerable importance in safeguarding human health due to its potential risks. In this study, we devised an alcogel-based colorimetric sensor enabling the portable and visual detection of TBHQ. The Ce-UiO-66 nanozyme exhibiting remarkable oxidase-like activity, was synthesized and characterized, facilitating the catalysis of TBHQ oxidation to 2-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (TBBQ). The ensuing chromogenic reaction between TBBQ and ethylenediamine produced a stable and colored product, serving as a reliable indicator for the rapid and specific detection of TBHQ. Building upon this discovery, a portable and low-cost colorimetric sensor was fashioned by integrating the nanozyme into κ-carrageenan alcogel, thereby enabling on-site TBHQ detection via a smartphone-based sensing platform. The colorimetric sensor exhibited a detection limit of 0.8 μg mL-1, demonstrating robust performance across various matrices such as edible oils, cosmetics, and surface water. Recoveries ranged from 84.9 to 95.5%, with the sensor's accuracy further validated through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our study presents an effective approach to rapid and convenient monitoring of TBHQ, exhibiting good extensibility and practicability.

A facile cellulose finishing strategy through in-situ growth of sliver-doped manganese dioxide assisted by amine-quinone for improving indoor living quality

Nowadays, various harmful indoor pollutants especially including bacteria and residual formaldehyde (HCHO) seriously threaten human health and reduce the quality of public life. Herein, a universal substrate-independence finishing approach for efficiently solving these hybrid indoor threats is demonstrated, in which amine-quinone network (AQN) was employed as reduction agent to guide in-situ growth of Ag@MnO2 particles, and also acted as an adhesion interlayer to firmly anchor nanoparticles onto diverse textiles, especially for cotton fabrics. In contrast with traditional hydrothermal or calcine methods, the highly reactive AQN ensures the efficient generation of functional nanoparticles under mild conditions without any additional catalysts. During the AQN-guided reduction, the doping of Ag atoms onto cellulose fiber surface optimized the crystallinity and oxygen vacancy of MnO2, providing cotton efficient antibacterial efficiency over 90 % after 30 min of contact, companying with encouraging UV-shielding and indoor HCHO purification properties. Besides, even after 30 cycles of standard washing, the Ag@MnO2-decorated textiles can effectively degrade HCHO while well-maintaining their inherent properties. In summary, the presented AQN-mediated strategy of efficiently guiding the deposition of functional particles on fibers has broad application prospects in the green and sustainable functionalization of textiles.

Ce(IV)-coordinated organogel-based assay for on-site monitoring of propyl gallate with turn-on fluorescence signal

Propyl gallate (PG) is a commonly used synthetic phenolic antioxidant in foodstuffs and industrial products. Due to the potential health risk of PG, rapid and on-site detection in food and environment samples are important to guarantee human health. Herein, we demonstrated rapid monitoring of PG by a fluorescence turn-on strategy based on a specific fluorogenic reaction between PG and polyethyleneimine (PEI). Specifically, Ce4+ with oxidase-mimicking activity oxidized PG to its oxides, which then reacted with PEI through the Michael addition to generate the fluorescent compound. The proposed fluorogenic reaction had good specificity for PG, which could distinguish PG from other phenolic antioxidants and interferences. Furthermore, portable and low-cost organogel test kits were prepared using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate for quantitative and on-site detection of PG via a smartphone-based sensing platform. The organogel-based assay detection limit was 1.0 μg mL-1 with recoveries ranging from 80.2% to 106.2% in edible oils and surface water. Suitability of the developed assay was also validated by high-performance liquid chromatography. Our study provides an effective fluorescent approach to rapid, specific, and convenient monitoring of PG, which is useful for diminishing the risk of PG exposure.

Modular Metal-Quinone Networks with Tunable Architecture and Functionality

Nanostructured materials with tunable structures and functionality are of interest in diverse areas. Herein, metal ions are coordinated with quinones through metal-acetylacetone coordination bonds to generate a class of structurally tunable, universally adhesive, hydrophilic, and pH-degradable materials. A library of metal-quinone networks (MQNs) is produced from five model quinone ligands paired with nine metal ions, leading to the assembly of particles, tubes, capsules, and films. Importantly, MQNs show bidirectional pH-responsive disassembly in acidic and alkaline solutions, where the quinone ligands mediate the disassembly kinetics, enabling temporal and spatial control over the release of multiple components using multilayered MQNs. Leveraging this tunable release and the inherent medicinal properties of quinones, MQN prodrugs with a high drug loading (>89 wt %) are engineered using doxorubicin for anti-cancer therapy and shikonin for the inhibition of the main protease in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Tunable Hierarchically Structured Meso-Macroporous Carbon Spheres from a Solvent-Mediated Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly

Herein, we report a versatile solvent-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) strategy to directly synthesize highly N-doped hierarchically porous structured carbon spheres with a tunable meso-macroporous configuration. The introduction of intermolecular hydrogen bonds is verified to enhance the interfacial interactions between block copolymers, oil droplets, and polyphenols. Moreover, the dominant hydrogen-bond-driven interactions can be systematically manipulated by selecting different cosolvent systems to generate diverse porous structures from the transformation of micellar and precursor co-assembly. Impressively, hierarchically structured meso-macroporous N-doped carbon spheres present simultaneously tunable sphere sizes and mesopores and macropores, ranging from 1.2 μm, 9/50 and 227 nm to 1.0 μm, 40, and 183 nm and 480, 24, and 95 nm. As a demonstration, dendritic-like N-doped hierarchically meso-macroporous carbon spheres manifest excellent enzyme-like activity, which is attributed to the continuous mass transport from the multiordered porosity. The current study provides a new platform for the synthesis of novel well-defined porous materials.

Effects of semiquinone-rich surface on the behaviors of vascular cells

Dopamine has been widely used for surface modification of cardiovascular medical devices as it forms films on most substrates that provide functional groups for surface chemical modification. However, under oxidative stress, the phenolic hydroxyl group on dopamine can undergo reversible transformation into phenol-semiquinone-quinone, which can cause cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity. In this study, we measured the effects of semiquinone on the behavior of vascular wall cells and inflammatory cells under oxidative stress via ultraviolet irradiation with a hydrogen peroxide diluent. Na₂S₂O₃ was used as a stabilizer to obtain a semiquinone-rich poly-dopamine film, then phenol-semiquinone-quinone ratio on its surface was evaluated at three irradiation-oxidation time points. We found that the poly-dopamine film with ultraviolet irradiation in hydrogen peroxide solution for 15 min had the highest semiquinone occupancy of 19.18%. In the experimental group irradiated for 15 min, endothelial cells were cultured statically for 3 days and the number of surface adherent endothelial cells in the group with added semiquinone stabilizer was reduced to 73% of that in the group without stabilizer, indicating that semiquinone rich surface inhibits adhesion and proliferation of endothelial cells; Smooth muscle cells were cultured statically for 3 days, and the number of adherent smooth muscle on surfaces without stabilizer was reduced to 75% of that on surfaces with stabilizer added, indicating that semiquinone rich surfaces promote smooth muscle proliferation. These results demonstrate that semiquinone can adversely affect the repair effect after implantation of cardiovascular materials. Therefore, our study provides a reference for the application and optimization of dopamine in cardiovascular implant materials.

Polyphenol based hybrid nano-aggregates modified collagen fibers of biological valve leaflets to achieve enhanced mechanical, anticoagulation and anti-calcification properties

Glutaraldehyde (Glut)-crosslinked porcine pericardium and bovine pericardium are mainly consisted of collagen and widely used for the preparation of heterogenous bioprosthetic heart valves (BHV), which play an important role in the replacement therapy of severe valvular heart disease, while their durability is limited by degeneration due to calcification, thrombus, endothelialization difficulty and prosthetic valve endocarditis. Herein, we develop a novel BHV, namely, TPly-BP, based on natural tannic acid and polylysine to improve the durability of Glut crosslinked bovine pericardium (Glut-BP). Impressively, tannic acid and polylysine could form nanoaggregates via multiple hydrogen bonds and covalent bonds, and the introduction of nanoaggregates not only improved the mechanical properties and collagen stability but also endowed TPly-BP with good biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. Compared to Glut-BP, TPly-BP showed significantly reduced cytotoxicity, improved endothelial cell adhesion, a low hemolysis ratio and obviously reduced platelet adhesion. Importantly, TPly-BP exhibited great antibacterial and in vivo anti-calcification ability, which was expected to improve the in vivo durability of BHVs. These results suggested that TPly-BP would be a potential candidate for BHV.

Graphical abstract

Surface Coating with Naphthalene Trisulfonate/Hafnium(IV) Complexes: Versatility and Post-Functionalization

Naphthalene trisulfonate is found to have versatile surface coating capability when combined with hafnium(IV) ions, thereby forming complexes. Solid substrates such as titanium/titanium dioxide, glass, and nylon immersed in a solution of naphthalene trisulfonate and Hf^IV produces naphthalene trisulfonate/Hf^IV complex coating. The coating is not produced when the Hf^IV ions are absent or when naphthalene monosulfonate replaces naphthalene trisulfonate; this indicates the significance of Hf^IV ions and multiple sulfonates in this coating system. The versatile surface coating property of naphthalene trisulfonate/Hf^IV complexes is attributed to the coexistence of hydrophobic aromatic and hydrophilic side groups in naphthalene trisulfonate. Additionally, Hf^IV ion-mediated cross-linking reactions between naphthalene trisulfonate molecules induce molecular assembly, facilitating versatile surface coating. Post-functionalization of the coating is accomplished through additional Hf^IV-mediated coordinate bond formation; alginate and λ-carrageenan are successfully grafted onto the coating for nonbiofouling applications.

Rapid Immobilization of Silver Nanoparticles via Amino-quinone Coatings Enables Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection

Immobilization of metal nanoparticles (NPs) on flexible substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has received great attention. Anchoring NPs on substrates generally involves the process of surface modification, thanks to its simple, universal, and nondestructive features. 2-Hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (HNQ), a plant-derived compound used to dye hairs and nails, may interact with polyamine or metal ions to form a surface coating. Here, we report the formation of amino-quinone coatings via the co-deposition of HNQ and polyethyleneimine, which provides a functionalized platform to rapidly immobilize Ag NPs on substrates such as a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film to fabricate Ag-PDMS substrates for SERS detection. The detection concentrations are down to 10^-8 M for rhodamine 6G. This work expands the system of surface co-deposition and further provides a facile route to prepare a highly efficient SERS substrate.

Wetting-Induced Water Promoted Flow on Tunable Liquid-Liquid Interface-Based Nanopore Membrane System

Membrane separation provides effective methods for solving the global water crisis. Contemporary membrane systems depend on interfacial interactions between liquid and solid membrane matrixes. However, it may lead to a limiting permeate flux due to the large flow resistance at hydrophobic liquid-solid interfaces. Herein, the liquid-liquid interface with improved interface energy is reversibly introduced in membrane systems to boost wetting and reduce transport resistance. A series of interfaces were systematically explored to reveal mechanisms of wetting and boosted flow performances, which are further supported by simulations. Findings of this study highlight that interfacial liquids with lower surface energies, lower viscosities, and higher solubilities can effectively improve water flow without sacrificing rejection performance, achieving by transforming a solid-liquid interface into liquid-liquid interface interaction. It provides a concept to design advanced membrane systems for water purification (e.g., desalination and oil-water separation) and energy conversion processes.

Crumpled Globule-Heterotextured Polyamide Membrane Interlayered with Protein-Polyphenol Nanoaggregates for Enhanced Forward Osmosis Performance

Surface modulation of polyamide structures and the development of nanochanneled membranes with excellent water transport properties are crucial for the separation performance enhancement of thin-film composite membranes. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of a modular nanochannel-integrated polyamide network on a nanoporous interlayer membrane comprising Mxene-reinforced protein-polyphenol nanoaggregates. The research indicates that the confined growth of the polyamide matrix inside this hydrophilic sub-10 nm nanochannel nanoporous intermediate layer stiffened the interfacial channels, leading to the formation of a polyamide layer with a spatial distribution of a network of unique 3D crumpled globule-like nanostructures. The high specific surface area of such a morphology bestowed the membrane with increased filtration area while facilitating the nanofluidic transport of water molecules through the nanochanneled membrane structure, leading to enhanced water flux of up to 26.6 L m^-2 h^-1 (active layer facing the feed solution) and 41.0 L m^-2 h^-1 (active layer facing the draw solution) using 1.0 M NaCl as the draw solution. The membrane equally exhibited good treatment for organic solvent forward osmosis filtration and typical seawater desalination. Moreover, the hierarchical nanostructures induced antimicrobial activity by effectively reducing the biofilm formation of Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. This work provides significant insights into the interfacial engineering and compatibility of the nanomaterials and the polymers in interlayer mixed-matrix membranes, which are environmentally sustainable and cost-effective for the fabrication of advanced forward osmosis membranes for water purification and osmotic energy applications.

Multifunctional coating of cotton fabric via the assembly of amino-quinone networks with polyamine biomacromolecules and dopamine quinone

Functional textiles with antibacterial properties and UV protection are essential for human health. However, the process of functional modification of textiles is usually done with the help of chemical cross-linking agents to improve the bonding fastness of functional finishing agents on textiles. The use of chemical cross-linking agents is not eco-friendly enough and is prone to chemical waste. In this study, some highly reactive polyamine biomolecules were combined with dopamine quinone, a super adhesive bionic material, to spontaneously construct amino-quinone networks (AQNs) coatings on the surface of cotton fabrics without the addition of chemical crosslinkers. The amino/quinone compounds (A/Q) self-crosslinking reaction is achieved by Michael addition and Schiff base reaction between the quinone group in dopamine quinone and the amino group in chitosan (CTS), chitooligosaccharide (COS) or ԑ-polylysine (ԑ-PL). The combination of polyamines and dopamine quinone during the cotton finishing process imparts antibacterial and UV protection to cotton fabric. The results showed that the AQNs coating modified fabrics had superb UV protection and antibacterial rates of over 96% against both E. coli and S. aureus. In addition, the AQNs coating modified fabrics had good resistance to washing and mechanical abrasion. This study proposes that self-assembled amino-quinone network multifunctional coatings of dopamine quinone and polyamine biomolecules are of guiding significance for the development of environmentally friendly bio-based materials.

Novel Aggregation-Enhanced PEC Photosensitizer Based on Electrostatic Linkage of Ionic Liquid with Protoporphyrin IX for Ultrasensitive Detection of Molt-4 Cells

Nowadays, aggregation quenching of most organic photosensitizers in aqueous media seriously restricts analytical and biomedical applications of photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors. In this work, an aggregation-enhanced PEC photosensitizer was prepared by electrostatically bonding protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) with an ionic liquid of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF₄]), termed as PPIX-[BMIm] for clarity. The resultant PPIX-[BMIm] showed weak photocurrent in pure dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, good solvent), while the PEC signals displayed a 44.1-fold enhancement in a water (poor solvent)/DMSO binary solvent with a water fraction (f_w) of 90%. Such PEC-enhanced mechanism was critically studied by electrochemistry and density functional theory (DFT) calculation in some detail. Afterward, a label-free PEC cytosensor was built for ultrasensitive bioassay of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (molt-4) cells by electrodepositing Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) on the PPIX-[BMIm] aggregates and sequential assembly of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) aptamer DNA (aptDNA). The resultant cytosensor showed a wide linear range (300 to 3 × 10⁵ cells mL^-1) with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 63 cells mL^-1. The aggregation-enhanced PEC performance offers a valuable and practical pathway for synthesis of advanced organic photosensitizer to explore its PEC applications in early diagnosis of tumors.

Controllable Synthesis of Polyphenol Spheres via Amine-Catalyzed Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly

A facile and general strategy for preparing uniform and multifunctional polyphenol-based colloidal particles through amine-catalyzed polymerization-induced self-assembly is described. The size and interfacial adhesion of polyphenol spheres can be easily controlled over a wide range via adjusting the concentration of the cosolvent and monomer. Moreover, the polyphenol spheres showed excellent thermal and chemical stability and highly active properties and could efficiently deplete the reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are helpful for in vivo ROS regulation for inflammatory therapeutic. The accessible and versatile method provides a feasible way for the rational engineering of multifunctional polyphenol spheres, which have great potential in many fields.

Multifunctional starch-based material for contaminated emulsions separation and purification

Stable water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions can produce at many industrial production occasions. However, most materials for its separation have serious fouling problems. To overcome this shortcoming, we fabricated an easy cleaning multifunctional starch-based material with unique wetting behavior which could realize efficient separation and purification of W/O emulsions. This material has a hierarchical structure and superoleophilic and under oil superhydrophobic surfaces which could separate various W/O emulsions in a high separation efficiency and flux without external pressure. In addition, the decrease of separation flux was not observed for this material, which can be reused more than 10 times after washing with ethanol and drying after each separation cycle. Furthermore, this material also could realize efficient removal of dyes and heavy-metal and rare-earth ions simultaneously during a separation process. The material shows great potential for separating and purifying stable W/O emulsions produced during the industrial production.

Universal Surface Coating with a Non-Phenolic Molecule, Sulfonated Pyrene

Nature-inspired small molecules such as catecholamines and polyphenols have gained a great deal of attention because of the exceptional surface-coating property that is applicable to many diverse substrates. Many researchers have conducted studies to expand molecular pools with surface-coating properties, but previous reports have still been limited to phenolic molecules as surface-coating agents. In this study, we describe for the first time the material-independent coating properties of nonphenolic molecules, namely, sulfonated pyrenes with Zr^IV ions. Owing to the binding capability with several oxygen-containing ligands, Zr^IV can be used for the molecular assembly of sulfonated pyrenes. We also report on the mixing of multiple sulfonated pyrenes and Zr^IV results in cross-linked complexes that can coat diverse solid substrates. The resulting coating can serve as a platform for grafting functional polysaccharides.

Surface Coatings via the Assembly of Metal-Monophenolic Networks

Mussel-inspired surface modification has received significant interest in recent years because of its simplicity and versatility. The deposition systems are still mainly limited to molecules with catechol chemical structures. In this paper, we report a novel deposition system based on a monophenol, vanillic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid), to fabricate metal-phenolic network coatings on various substrates. The results of the water contact angle and zeta potential reveal that the modified polypropylene microfiltration membrane is underwater superhydrophobic and positively charged, showing applications in oil/water separation and dye removal. Furthermore, the single-face modified Janus membrane is promising in switchable oil/water separation. The results demonstrate a novel example of the metal-monophenolic deposition system, which expands the toolbox of surface coatings and facilitates the understanding of the deposition of phenols.

Plant-inspired quercetin thin films: universal coatings and their postfunctionalization for non-biofouling applications

We developed quercetin surface chemistry that can be applied for various substrates and is able to postfunctionalize for hemocompatible coatings.