Protein adsorption on dopamine–melanin films: Role of electrostatic interactions inferred from ?-potential measurements versus chemisorption

We recently showed the possibility to build dopamine–melanin films of controlled thickness by successive immersions of a substrate in alkaline solutions of dopamine [F. Bernsmann, A. Ponche, C. Ringwald, J. Hemmerlé, J. Raya, B. Bechinger, J.-C. Voegel, P. Schaaf, V. Ball, J. Phys. Chem. C 113 (2009) 8234–8242]. In this work the structure and properties of such films are further explored. The ζ-potential of dopamine–melanin films is measured as a function of the total immersion time to build the film. It appears that the film bears a constant ζ-potential of (−39 ± 3) mV after 12 immersion steps. These data are used to calculate the surface density of charged groups of the dopamine–melanin films at pH 8.5 that are mostly catechol or quinone imine chemical groups. Furthermore the ζ-potential is used to explain the adsorption of three model proteins (lysozyme, myoglobin, α-lactalbumin), which is monitored by quartz crystal microbalance. We come to the conclusion that protein adsorption on dopamine–melanin is not only determined by possible covalent binding between amino groups of the proteins and catechol groups of dopamine–melanin but that electrostatic interactions contribute to protein binding. Part of the adsorbed proteins can be desorbed by sodium dodecylsulfate solutions at the critical micellar concentration. The fraction of weakly bound proteins decreases with their isoelectric point. Additionally the number of available sites for covalent binding of amino groups on melanin grains is quantified.