Hot paper in Angewandte Chemie

Work selected as ‘Hot Paper’ in Angewandte Chemie. Polydopamine free radicals are observed to be photo-responsive under visible light irradiation, amplifying semiquinone radical population and modifying redox potential. Using polydopamine nanoparticles, the researchers photo-initiate free-radical polymerization of vinylic monomers via sensitization of a diphenyliodonium photo-initiator. This work offers important insights into melanin-like materials and presents PDA as a promising photosensitizer.