Assembly of Metal–Phenolic Networks on Water‐Soluble Substrates in Nonaqueous Media

Abstract

Interfacial modular assemblies of eco‐friendly metal–phenolic networks (MPNs) are of interest for surface and materials engineering. To date, most MPNs are assembled on water‐stable substrates; however, the self‐assembly of MPNs on highly water‐soluble substrates remains unexplored. Herein, a versatile approach is reported to engineer thickness‐tunable coatings (2–25 µm) on a water‐soluble substrate (i.e., urea) via the self‐assembly of MPNs in a nonaqueous solvent (i.e., acetonitrile). The coordination‐driven assembly of the MPN coatings in the nonaqueous solvent is distinct from that in aqueous systems, as the assembly is only achieved following the addition of urea granules into the iron–tannin solution. The coating occurs relatively rapidly (5–60 min), generating micrometer‐thick coatings from the adsorption of FeIII–TA complexes and micrometer‐sized FeIII–TA particles formed in solution. The straightforward nature of the present fabrication method in generating thick and robust coatings with high stability in nonaqueous environments (including at 60 °C) coupled with the broad range of available naturally abundant polyphenol–metal ion combinations expand the applicability of MPNs as coatings for water‐soluble materials, thus providing new opportunities for their broader application in a range of industrial processes and applications.

RETRACTED: Integrated the embedding delivery system and targeted oxygen scavenger enhances free radical scavenging capacity

“…The multiple phenolic hydroxyl structures of TA endow it with unique physiological activities and chemical characteristics, such as amphiphilic, electrostatic and complexation with a variety of metal ions and the ability to scavenge free radicals (including scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radicals, 2,2′-diazo bis (3-ethylbenzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid) cationic free radicals and hydrogen peroxide). One phenolic hydroxyl group is used to complex with Fe 3+ to form a stable MPN structure ( Jia et al, 2023 , Mazaheri et al, 2022 ). The other phenolic hydroxyl groups can make MPN have antioxidant capacity.…”

Metal-phenolic networks as tuneable spore coat mimetics

“…15 Thus, by simply mixing a series of metal ions and polyphenols, we could gain access to a library of MPN coatings with tunable mechanical properties. 16,22 Biocompatible and biorelevant metal ions (Fe III , Mn II , Zn II , and Al III ) and phenols (TA, EGCG, and GA) were selected for this evaluation (Fig. 1).…”

Functional Ligand-Enabled Particle Assembly for Bio–Nano Interactions

“…In 2013, we reported the assembly of metal− phenolic networks (MPNs) for depositing thin films and fabricating particles based on the pH-dependent coordination networks formed between TA (a polyphenol) and metal ions (Figure 2a). 17 In subsequent studies, various MPN particles were fabricated through the introduction of different metal ions, 26 site-selective coordination of quercetin (QUE) containing three potential binding sites to metal ions, 27 coordination networks in a nonaqueous solvent, 28 heatinduced transformation processes to alter network formation in assembled structures, 29,30 sacrificial double cubic network polymer cubosomes to synthesize mesoporous particles, 31 conjugation of cyclodextrins and a polyphenol to integrate host−guest chemistry, 32 and supramolecular assembly-induced fluorescence labeling. 33 Complexed particles with diverse physical and chemical properties can be engineered through the coexistence of noncovalent and covalent interactions in the supramolecular assembly process.…”