Systematic Investigation of the Electrochemical Properties of Natural Melanin for Various Electrode Cells

Abstract

Melanin is an organic semiconductor from a broad class of functional macromolecules found in nature. It has hybrid properties of an amorphous semiconductor. However, natural melanin has not been widely studied; this is partially due to the lack of processing methods, as melanin is generally extracted and measured as a powder. Thus, better electrical methods are required; one possible solution is the use of electrochemical synthesis. We investigated the electrochemical properties of melanin at different degrees of acidity and for various electrode cells. The electrochemical properties of natural melanin were studied using two different techniques: the constant potential method and cyclic voltammetry. This could allow different types of charge transport and make melanin a contender in this rapidly growing field. Natural melanin is believed to be a hybrid conductor where the dominant charge carriers change between electrons and protons as the acidity degree and water concentration change. Biocompatible and biodegradable features make melanin useful for electrochemical energy storage and it could be an attractive candidate for applications in bioelectronics and electronics devices.