Frank Caruso1
University of Melbourne1
The development of rapid and versatile coating strategies for interface and materials engineering is of widespread interest. This presentation will focus on our studies on the formation of a versatile class of metal–organic materials, metal–phenolic networks (MPNs), which can be formed on various substrates by coordinating polyphenols and metal ions through self-assembly. This robust and modular assembly strategy is substrate independent (covering organic, inorganic, and biological substrates) and has been used for the preparation of various materials, including thin films, particles, superstructures and macroscopic assemblies. It will be shown that a range of polyphenols and a library of metal ions are suitable for forming MPNs and that by altering the type of metal ions, different functions can be incorporated in the MPN materials, ranging from fluorescence to MRI and catalytic capabilities. Furthermore, the use of polypeptides and proteins to form engineered films and particles for a range of biological applications will be highlighted. The ease and scalability of the assembly process, combined with the tuneable properties of MPNs, provide a new avenue for functional interface engineering and make MPNs potential candidates for biomedical, environmental, and advanced materials applications.