Biomimetic pheomelanin to unravel the electronic, molecular and supramolecular structure of the natural product
Wei Cao, Haochuan Mao, Naneki C. McCallum, Xuhao Zhou, Hao Sun, Christopher Sharpe, Joanna Korpanty, Ziying Hu, Qing Zhe Ni, Michael D. Burkart, Matthew D. Shawkey, Michael R. Wasielewski, Nathan C. Gianneschi
Abstract
various techniques, including solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). This synthetic pheomelanin closely mimics the structure of natural pheomelanin as determined by parallel characterization of pheomelanin extracted from multiple biological sources. With a good synthetic biomimetic material in hand, we describe cation-π interactions as an important driving force for pheomelanogenesis, further advancing our fundamental understanding of this important biological pigment.
Topics & Concepts
Supramolecular chemistryNatural productNatural (archaeology)ChemistryNanotechnologyProduct (mathematics)Materials scienceStereochemistryMoleculeOrganic chemistryBiologyPaleontologyMathematicsGeometryPhotochromic and Fluorescence ChemistryGold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applicationsmelanin and skin pigmentation