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The electrical properties of eumelanin, a ubiquitous natural pigment, have fascinated scientists since the late 1960s. For several decades, the hydrationdependent electrical properties of eumelanin have mainly been interpreted within the amorphous semiconductor model. Recent works undermined this paradigm. Here we study protonic and electronic charge carrier transport in hydrated eumelanin in thin film form. Thin films are ideal candidates for these studies since they are readily accessible to chemical and morphological characterization and potentially amenable to device applications. Current−voltage (I-V) measurements, transient current measurements with proton-transparent electrodes, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements are reported and correlated with the results of the chemical characterization of the films, performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We show that the electrical response of hydrated eumelanin films is dominated by ionic conduction (10 −4 −10 −3 S cm −1 ), largely attributable to protons, and electrochemical processes. To propose an explanation for the electrical response of hydrated eumelanin films as observed by EIS and I-V, we considered the interplay of proton migration, redox processes, and electronic transport. These new insights improve the current understanding of the charge carrier transport properties of eumelanin opening the possibility to assess the potential of eumelanin for organic bioelectronic applications, e.g. protonic devices and implantable electrodes, and to advance the knowledge on the functions of eumelanin in biological systems.

Biocompatible and biodegradable materials that store electrochemical energy are attractive candidates for applications in bioelectronics and electronics for everywhere. We report on the discovery of the energy storage properties of the pigment melanin in supercapacitors and flexible micro-supercapacitors.

Melanin (from the Greek μέλας, mélas, black) is a biopigment ubiquitous in flora and fauna, featuring broadband optical absorption, hydration-dependent electrical response, ion-binding affinity as well as antioxidative and radical-scavenging properties. In the human body, photoprotection in the skin and ion flux regulation in the brain are some biofunctional roles played by melanin. Here we discuss the progress in melanin research that underpins emerging technologies in energy storage/conversion, ion separation/water treatment, sunscreens, and bioelectronics. The melanin research aims at developing approaches to explore natural materials, well beyond melanin, which might serve as a prototype benign material for sustainable technologies.

The biopigment eumelanin, ubiquitous in flora and fauna, is made up of chemically heterogeneous macromolecules based on the 5,6‐dihydroxyindole and 5,6‐dihydroxyindole‐2‐carboxylic acid building blocks. The exciting possibility of designing eumelanin‐based technologies for bioelectronics and sustainable electronics has to be properly assessed by gaining insights on the charge transfer and charge carrier transport in the pigment, preferably in film form, easily amenable to devices. In this work, we report a study on the electrochemical behaviour of films of eumelanin and its derivatives synthesized in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO eumelanins) in different aqueous electrolytes, with different chemical compositions and pH. DMSO eumelanins feature an improved solubility in the solvent DMSO, of relevance for processing purposes. The voltammetric currents are higher at relatively low pH (5.5), as expected considering the well‐established proton transport properties of the biopigment. Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy performed on eumelanin films were combined with thermogravimetry with the aim of advancing knowledge on the molecular and supramolecular features of synthetic commercially available eumelanin, DMSO eumelanins as well as natural eumelanin (Sepia melanin). The results collected permit unprecedented insights on the physicochemical properties of eumelanin. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry