The morphology and physicochemical properties of polydopamine are not totally inherent and undergo changes with differing reaction conditions like the choice of solvent used for polymerization. The polymerisation of dopamine to polydopamine carried out in different solvents like sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, PBS and Tris leads to polydopamine with exceptionally different morphological and physicochemical features with each solvent. Additionally, the different physicochemical characteristics and morphologies bestow the polymer films with different extents of antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the findings supported by chemical evidence from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that higher antibacterial activities were obtained against E. coli and S. aureus with polydopamine films prepared by Tris and NaOH solvent induced polymerization. The antibacterial activity observed in saline was found to be higher than that in PBS medium for both E. coli and S. aureus. The higher antibacterial activity of polydopamine films prepared in Tris and NaOH solvents was attributed to the covalent incorporation of -OH groups on the surface provided by nucleophilic Tris and NaOH solvents during the polymerisation process. The distinct physicochemical and morphological changes were supported by the results from contact angle measurements, FE-SEM, EDAX, AFM, and XPS analysis. The present finding provides insight into the different chemistry, morphologies and properties of the designed polydopamine films with controlled antibacterial/antifouling properties. Additionally, new insights into the mechanism of formation, physicochemical changes in morphology and properties of polydopamine coatings were revealed.

Polydopamine (pDA)-modified iron oxide core-shell nanoparticles (IONPs) are developed and designed as nanovectors of drugs. Reactive quinone of pDA enhances the binding efficiency of various biomolecules for targeted delivery. Glutathione disulfide (GSSG), an abundant thiol species in the cytoplasm, was immobilized on the pDA-IONP surface. It serves as a cellular trigger to release the drug from the nanoparticles providing an efficient platform for the drug delivery system. Additionally, GSSG on the surface was further modified to form S-nitrosoglutathione that can act as nitric oxide (NO) donors. These NPs were fully characterized using a transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV-vis spectroscopies. Doxorubicin (DOX) and docetaxel (DTX) are two anticancer drugs, which were loaded onto nanoparticles with respective loading efficiencies of 243 and 223 µmol/g of IONPs, calculated using TGA measurements. DOX release study, using UV-vis spectroscopy, showed a pH responsive behavior, making the elaborated nanocarrier a potential drug delivery system. (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl) -2H-tetrazolium (MTS) and apoptosis assays were performed on PC3 cell lines to evaluate the efficiency of the developed nanocarriers. These nanoparticles thus can prove their worth in cancer treatment on account of their easy access to the site and release of drug in response to changes to internal parameters such as pH, chemicals, etc.

Four chiral derivatizing reagents (CDR 1-4), namely, FDNP-L-Ala, FDNP-L-Val, FDNP-L-Phe, and FDNP-L-Leu, were synthesized using microwave (MW) irradiation by substituting one of the fluorine atoms in difluoro dinitro benzene (DFDNB) with L-Ala, L-Val, L-Phe, and L-Leu (CDR 1-4). The other set of CDRs, namely, FDNP-L-Phe-NH2, FDNP-L-Val-NH2, and FDNP-L-Leu-NH2, was also prepared. These reagents were used for synthesis of diastereomers of 18 proteinogenic and 08 non-proteinogenic amino acids, which were resolved by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using C18 column and gradient eluting mixture of aq.TFA and acetonitrile with UV detection at 340 nm. The reagents were used for resolution of a complex mixture of 18 racemic proteinogenic amino acids in a single chromatographic run of 65 min and to determine concentration of the D: -amino acid in a solution of DL: -amino acid. The resolution (RS) and selectivity (alpha) obtained for the two sets of diastereomers were compared among themselves and among the two groups. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification. LOD is 0.001% impurity of D-enantiomer.

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Penicillamine (PenA) is a nonproteinogenic amino acid containing a thiol group. The three functional groups in penicillamine undergo characteristic chemical reactions and differ in their ability to participate in various chemical and biochemical reactions. d-penicillamine is more active pharmacologically, while the l-isomer occurs 'naturally'. This review deals with the enantioresolution of PenA both by direct and indirect methods using liquid chromatography. HPLC separation of its diastereomers prepared with different chiral derivatizing reagents (on reversed-phase columns) and separation of the derivatives prepared with achiral reagents (on chiral columns or via ligand exchange mode) has been discussed. Separation of enantiomers tagged with achiral reagent (to add a chromophore for ehanced detection) when there is no diastereomer formation has been considered separately. In addition, application of PenA and its derivatives as chiral selector for enentioresolution of certain other compounds has also been discussed.