Fast and Reliable Synthesis of Melanin Nanoparticles with Fine-Tuned Metal Adsorption Capacities for Studying Heavy Metal Ions Uptake.

These initial studies showed the potential of this straightforward synthesis to obtain synthetic DHI-melanin nanoparticles similar to those from biological sources with the possibility to fine-tune their metal adsorption capacity. These synthetic nanoparticles can be used either for the removal of a variety of metal ions or to mimic and study mechanisms of metal uptake by melanin deriving from biological sources, with the potential to understand, for instance, differential heavy metal uptake by various melanic pigments.