Bio-inspired mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles as circular bio-based iron-redox buffering materials for resilient biological systems

Advancing a bio-circular economy requires the development of high-value functional materials derived from renewable bio-organic building blocks using environmentally responsible processes. Polydopamine (PDA), inspired by mussel adhesive proteins and formed from catechol-based bio-derived precursors, can be synthesized under mild aqueous conditions without toxic crosslinkers. This makes PDA an attractive sustainable polymer platform with intrinsic metal-chelating and redox-regulating properties. In this work, we engineered mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (PDNs) as a multifunctional, drug-free material system capable of regulating iron-driven oxidative stress. Through a soft-template strategy, mesoporous architectures were designed to enhance surface accessibility and interaction with labile iron species. The resulting nanoparticles exhibited strong intrinsic iron-binding and redox-buffering activity, reducing oxidative damage and stabilizing cellular metabolic balance under stress conditions. Biosafety evaluation using zebrafish models demonstrated minimal developmental toxicity, supporting environmentally responsible and resource-efficient preclinical validation. Collectively, this study highlights how circular bio-based polymer systems can be rationally engineered into smart, resilient materials that enhance biological stability while aligning with sustainable material design principles.

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