Coral-friendly and non-transdermal polymeric UV filter via the Biginelli reaction for in vivo UV protection
Yuan Zeng, Xianzhe He, Zeyu Ma, Yanzi Gou, Yen Wei, Siyu Pan, Lei Tao
Abstract
Sunscreen is recommended to protect human skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage and cancer development. However, small-molecule organic UV filters in sunscreens damage the environment and may pose a health risk to users through transdermal action because of their small molecular weights. Here we report a strategy for realizing safe and coral-friendly polymeric UV filters by combining the Biginelli reaction and free radical polymerization. We have obtained a water-soluble polymer with excellent UV absorbance that effectively protects mice from UV radiation-induced skin burn considerably better than well-known UV filters (e.g., oxybenzone and avobenzone) and commercial sunscreens. This polymer is non-transdermal owing to its high molecular weight and is nearly harmless to algae, corals, and mice. This work presents an initial exploration of biofriendly and coral-friendly polymeric UV filter via a simple multicomponent reaction and provides insights that can guide the design of value-added functional polymers for practical applications.