POLY(5,6-DIHYDROXYINDOLE) MELANIN FILM ELECTRODE

Melanoid pigment deposited electrochemically at solid anodes from a 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) solution shows properties of a polymeric quinole-quinone. The structure of this material as a DHI polymer was confirmed with secondary ionization mass spectra (SIMS) and ir, its redox properties were characterized with cyclic voltammetry, and its chemical properties were ascertained in a reaction with hydrogen peroxide. The poly(DHI) electrode that exchanges electrons with hydroquinone may serve as a probe in the studies of the reaction of melanin with biological factors carrying a redox system. © 1993 by Academic Press, Inc.