POLYMERS, vol.14, no.20, pp.1-14, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
Halloysite nanotubes (HNT) were coated five times with dopamine (DOPA) in a tris buffer
medium at pH 8.5 to acquire polydopamine-coated HNTs (PDOPA@HNT), e.g., PDOPA1@HNT,
PDOPA3@HNT, and PDOPA5@HNT. Upon coating HNT with PDOPA, the surface area, pore volume,
and pore size were decreased depending on the number of coatings. While the surface area of HNT
was 57.9 m2/g, by increasing the number of coatings from 1 to 5, it was measured as 55.9, 53.4,
53.3, 47.4, and 46.4 m2/g, respectively. The isoelectric point (IEP) for HNTs was determined as 4.68,
whereas these values are estimated as 2.31 for PDOPA1@HNTs, 3.49 for PDOPA3@HNT, and 3.55 for
PDOPA5@HNT. Three different antioxidant studies were conducted for HNT and PDOPA@HNT,
and the total phenol (TPC) value of HNT was found to be 150.5 ± 45.9 µmol gallic acid (GA)
equivalent. The TPC values for PDOPA1@HNT, PDOPA3@HNT and PDOPA5@HNT coatings were
found to be 405.5 ± 25.0, 750.0 ± 69.9, and 1348.3 ± 371.7 µmol GA equivalents, respectively.
The Fe(II) chelation capacity of HNT was found to be 20.5% ± 1.2%, while the PDOPA1@HNT,
PDOPA3@HNT and PDOPA5@HNT values were found to be 49.9 ± 6.5, 36.6 ± 12.7 and 25.4 ± 1.2%,
respectively. HNT and PDOPA@HNTs inhibited the α-glucosidase (AG) enzyme to greater extents
than acetylcholinesterase (AChE). As a result, the DOPA modification of HNTs was rendered to
provide additional characteristics, e.g., antioxidant properties and higher AChE and AG enzymes
inhibition capabilities. Therefore, PDOPA@HNTs have great potential as biomaterials.