Strategic Advances in Spatiotemporal Control of Bioinspired Phenolic Chemistries in Materials Science

Abstract

Nature-inspired phenolic chemistries have substantially nourished the engineering of advanced materials for widespread applications in energy, catalysis, and biomedicine, among others. To achieve predictable yet adaptable material structures and properties, the spatial and/or temporal control over the phenolic chemistries per se is increasingly demanded. In this review, a systematic overview of recent strategical advances in the spatiotemporal control of phenolic chemistries in materials science is given. The chemical diversity and reactivity of catechols and polyphenols are first introduced as phenolic building blocks. With a main focus on catechols (especially dopamine), renewed insights into their mechanisms of polymerization/assembly, adhesion, and cohesion are provided. The conditions for tuning phenolic polymerization/assembly are also outlined. This paper focuses on the latest strategies for imparting controlled manipulation of phenolic chemistries in terms of many aspects: growth kinetics, chemical compositions and structures, dimensions and architectures, spatial patterns, and surface functionality. Finally, critical issues facing this field with perspectives delivered on future research are discussed. As envisaged, this review will provide helpful guidance to orchestrate state-of-the-art phenolic chemistries and materials science for producing materials with intended, application-oriented properties and functions.

Polyphenolic sunscreens for photoprotection

“…In particular, the excellent UV absorption and antioxidant capacity, as well as bioadhesion, antibacterial and other auxiliary functions make polyphenols possess great potential in the design and preparation of safe and robust green sunscreens. [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55] For example, natural plateau plants could protect themselves against extra-intense UV irradiation due to the presence of abundant polyphenolic components such as salidroside in Rhodiola rosea and caulis dendrobii polyphenols in Dendrobium officinale. 56,57 A plateau is the main locality for tea growth and local people have utilized tea products rich in tea polyphenols to resist UV irradiation since the ancient times.…”

Metallopolymer Particle Engineering via Etching of Boronate Polymers toward High‐Performance Overall Water Splitting Catalysts

“…This in situ pore/cavity‐making strategy renders predictable yet adaptable application‐oriented potentials, in line with the trends for next‐generation phenolic materials. [ 31 ] Here we demonstrate the case that M‐BPs (Table S4, Supporting Information) and inorganic@void@M‐BPs (Table S5, Supporting Information) are served as precursors for constructing hybrid carbon materials, which can be equipped to act as anode and cathode catalysts in an overall water splitting system. After a simple pyrolysis treatment, M‐BPs transformed into metal incorporated B, N co‐doped carbon particles, which we denoted as M‐NBCs.…”

“…This in situ pore/cavity-making strategy renders predictable yet adaptable application-oriented potentials, in line with the trends for next-generation phenolic materials. [31] Here we demonstrate the case that M-BPs (Table S4, Supporting Information) and inorganic@void@M-BPs (Table S5, Supporting Information) are served as precursors for constructing Figure 3. TEM images of yolk-shell particles with different inner cores: a) SiO 2 @void 38 @Fe-BP1 14 , b) ZnO@void 31 @Fe-BP1 27 , and c) TiO 2 @void 41 @ Fe-BP1 35 .…”

Interfacially responsive electron transfer and matter conversion by polydopamine‐mediated nanoplatforms for advancing disease theranostics

“…Yang, Zhu, et al, 2021;Zou et al, 2020). These superior properties, which have set the tone for the successful use of PDA in the construction of intriguing nanomaterials, are closely related to the corresponding chemical structures in terms of more sophisticated and interrelated levels of chemical complexity (Jia et al, 2021;M. Liu et al, 2016).…”

“…Meanwhile, PDA products have tubable bandgaps for the manipulation of optical features, which has been confirmed by several studies (J. Huang et al, 2019; Lin et al, 2018; M. Yang, Zhu, et al, 2021; Zou et al, 2020). These superior properties, which have set the tone for the successful use of PDA in the construction of intriguing nanomaterials, are closely related to the corresponding chemical structures in terms of more sophisticated and interrelated levels of chemical complexity (Jia et al, 2021; M. Liu et al, 2016). Owing to these abundant π–electron riched structures, PDA inherently possesses prominent photoelectric activity, just as other conjugated polymers (Ryu et al, 2018).…”