Publications

2026

    2025

      2024

      1. Exploring the chemistry and composition of black soldier fly eumelanin, a material for a circular economy
        Exploring the chemistry and composition of black soldier fly eumelanin, a material for a circular economy
        Mostert, A. Bernardus, Mattiello, Sara, Li, Shujie, Perna, Giuseppe, Lasalvia, Maria, Ambrico, P. Francesco, Paulin, J. V., Morais Lima, João Victor, Graeff, Carlos, Phua, Jun. Wei, Matta, Micaela, Surman, Andrew J., Gunnella, Roberto, and Ambrico, Marianna
         Materials Advances, , 10.1039.D4MA00825A (2024)
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        Abstract

        Demonstrated is the first example of dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid presence within an insect eumelanin, a conductive biomaterial material for the circular economy. , Eumelanin is a black-brown biopigment that provides photoprotection and pigmentation in mammals, insects, and invertebrates. It can be obtained by oxidative polymerisation of 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) and its 2-carboxylic acid (DHICA). Due to its unique physical and chemical properties and its biocompatibility, eumelanin is a promising biomaterial for applications in energy storage, biomedicine, and sensing. However, poor solubility in water and lack of sustainable and low-cost sources of eumelanin have so far limited the full exploitation of this biomaterial. Insect farming is rapidly emerging as an alternative source of eumelanin. Unlike other types of eumelanin, BSF eumelanin, which is extracted from the exoskeleton of the black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens ), is water-dispersible; however, its fundamental chemical properties are not completely understood. Here, we report the characterisation of BSF eumelanin using various spectroscopy techniques. Contrary to what is known about other insect eumelanins, which are believed to contain exclusively DHI, our results indicate that BSF eumelanin may contain both DHI and DHICA moieties. We discuss the potential reasons for this discrepancy.

      2023

      1. On the fundamentals of organic mixed ionic/electronic conductors
        On the fundamentals of organic mixed ionic/electronic conductors
        Fabiano, Simone, Flagg, Lucas, Hidalgo Castillo, Tania C., Inal, Sahika, Kaake, Loren G., Kayser, Laure V., Keene, Scott T., Ludwigs, Sabine, Muller, Christian, Savoie, Brett M., Lüssem, Björn, Lutkenhaus, Jodie L., Matta, Micaela, Meli, Dilara, Patel, Shrayesh N., Paulsen, Bryan D., Rivnay, Jonathan, and Surgailis, Jokubas
         J. Mater. Chem. C, 11, 14527-14539 (2023)
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        Abstract

        The first Telluride Science meeting (formerly TSRC) on organic mixed ionic and electronic conductors (OMIECs), Oct 3–7, 2022, brought together researchers across the field to understand the fundamental processes and identify out-standing questions related to this exciting class of materials. OMIECs are organic materials that promote the transport of mobile electronic charge carriers while simultaneously supporting ionic transport and ionic–electronic coupling. These properties open up broad areas of applications from energy to bioelectronics. Devices include batteries, supercapacitors, actuators, electrochromic displays, and organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). They possess the key strengths of traditional organic electronic materials, such as synthetic tunability and low-temperature processing. Despite the recent advances in devices and applications achieved with such materials, many challenges and gaps in understanding remain. These topics hold the key to designing next-generation materials and devices that continue to push the limits of performance and stability and facilitate novel functionality. This perspective aims to summarize the current understanding, conversations, and debates that made this TSRC particularly engaging, enabling new directions and searching for missing pieces of the OMIEC puzzle.

      2. Building a community-driven ecosystem for fast, reproducible, and reusable molecular simulation analysis using mdanalysis
        Building a community-driven ecosystem for fast, reproducible, and reusable molecular simulation analysis using mdanalysis
        Alibay, Irfan, Barnoud, Jonathan, Beckstein, Oliver, Gowers, Richard J., Loche, Philip R., MacDermott-Opeskin, Hugo, Matta, Micaela, Naughton, Fiona B., Reddy, Tyler, and Wang, Lily
         Biophysical Journal, 122, 420a (2023)
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      2022

      1. Operando Characterization of Organic Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conducting Materials
        Operando Characterization of Organic Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conducting Materials
        Wu, Ruiheng, Matta, Micaela, Paulsen, Bryan D., and Rivnay, Jonathan
         Chemical Reviews, 122, 4493-4551 (2022)
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