Tailoring melanins for bioelectronics: polycysteinyldopamine as an ion conducting redox-responsive polydopamine variant for pro-oxidant thin films

Polycysteinyldopamine (pCDA), a red hair-inspired polydopamine-like polymer with ionic conductor behavior, can produce smooth and highly adhesive thin films and coatings on quartz, glass and other surfaces, and is shown to markedly accelerate the autoxidation of glutathione at physiological pH via an efficient redox exchange process.