title: Control of structural, electronic, and optical properties of eumelanin films by electrospray deposition.
abstract: The capability to monitor finely the physical properties of eumelanin, an important class of biopolymers, involved in melanoma cancer pathologies, whose function and intrinsic disorder still collects the interest of many investigators, was achieved by means of electrospray deposition (ESD). By alleviating the problem of the solubility of melanin through the realization of high-quality films it was possible to spread light on the unknown biopolymer supramolecular organization. In fact, on the basis of scanning probe microscopies, electron spectroscopies, and transport properties, it was possible to delineate peculiar features of the melanin organization varying from heteropolymeric to oligomeric in character and eventually turning in a cross-linked secondary molecular structure.
authors.affiliation: Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS), Johannes Kepler University Linz, Alltenberger Strasse 69, A-4040 Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Postorino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mangialardo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cestelli Guidi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cricenti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunnella
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D008543:Melanins / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008958:Models, Molecular; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D008543:Melanins; C041877:eumelanin