The effect of copper on eumelanin photophysics and morphology

David J. S. Birch; Jens U. Sutter

doi:10.1117/12.999948

22 February 2013 The effect of copper on eumelanin photophysics and morphology

David J. S. Birch, Jens U. Sutter

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8587, Imaging, Manipulation, and Analysis of Biomolecules, Cells, and Tissues XI; 858705 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.999948
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2013, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Despite being an important pigment in skin, hair, the eye and the brain, melanin remains one of the most enigmatic of pigments. Although the main constituents of melanin are known to be dihydroxyindoles, its photophysics is complex and its detailed structure remains unknown. In this work we have arrested prior to completion the usual synthesis of eumelanin formed via auto-oxidation of 3, 4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-DOPA), by the addition of copper ions. Using fluorescence techniques we report how copper modifies the self assembly of eumelanin by reducing the time to the onset of aggregation at pH 10 and yet produces simplified photophysics in terms of a clearly-defined fluorescence spectrum and a fluorescence decay that is described well by a dominant single lifetime of ~ 6ns. This behavior is consistent with copper inducing an enhanced abundance of 5,5-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA). Metal ion binding to melanin is of particular importance to neurology and has potential applications in optoelectronics.

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David J. S. Birch and Jens U. Sutter "The effect of copper on eumelanin photophysics and morphology", Proc. SPIE 8587, Imaging, Manipulation, and Analysis of Biomolecules, Cells, and Tissues XI, 858705 (22 February 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.999948

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