Structural disruption of melanin-like polymers with boosted UV protection

Manipulating the energy structure of materials represents an efficient way to regulate their light absorption behaviors. For example, constructing donor-acceptor (D-A) structures to increase the polarizability and reduce the energy bandgap of local molecules has been widely used in the field of organic photovoltaics with ordered structures. Remarkably, even in disordered and chaotic systems such as melanin-like polydopamine (PDA), visible and near-infrared light absorption can be significantly improved using this strategy. However, there has been a noticeable dearth of research on the ultraviolet (UV) light absorption regulation of bioinspired polymers with disordered and chaotic architectures by tailoring the D-A microstructures. In this study, a series of benzoheterocyclic molecules with strong electron-donating features screened by molecular simulation calculations were involved in disrupting the D-A structures within PDA. The destruction of D-A structures promoted the increase of the energy band gap and finally boosted the UV absorption of PDA. The resulting PDA nanoparticles with enhanced UV absorption were further employed to fabricate UV shielding composite films to protect the growth of plants from harmful UV radiation. This research may open up new avenues for structural disruption of bioinspired polymers for enhanced photoprotection applications.