Sulfonated melanin derivatives: theoretical evaluation of local reactivities and chemical structures.

Melanins are natural macromolecules present in several organisms responsible for photoprotection, photosensitivity, ion chelation, and thermoregulation. Such materials have attracted attention due to their interesting electronic properties, which suggest their possible application in biocompatible devices. However, the low typical solubility of traditional melanins does not allow the production of good quality thin films.