TY - CONF A1 - Khropost, Diana A1 - Riethmüller, Franziska A1 - Döhring, Thorsten A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Hülagü, Deniz A1 - Hertwig, Andreas A1 - Cotroneo, Vincenzo A1 - gibertini, eugenio T1 - Polydopamine – a bio-inspired polymer for X-ray mirror coatings and other technical applications N2 - Although the organic molecule dopamine (3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is commonly known as one of the “hormones of happiness”, thin polymer films of polydopamine (PDA) also have interesting technical properties. PDA is a very strong glue that sticks on almost everything, even under water. In nature, PDA is found in the byssal thread cuticles of mussels. When produced by dip-coating, the self-organizing PDA layers grow in a reproducible thickness of single or multiple molecule monolayers of a few nanometres thickness only. Here we present an optimized preparation regime as derived from polymerization analysis through absorption spectroscopy. One application is the use of thin PDA overcoatings to increase the soft X-ray reflectivity of astronomical X-ray mirrors. Furthermore, we give an outlook to other technical applications for this interesting material, presenting this bio-inspired organic polymer as an innovative technical solution for the future, with applications such as PDA-based super-capacitors and its promising role in enhancing separator materials for batteries. T2 - SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics 2025 CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 07.04.2025 KW - X-ray mirrors KW - Reflectivity KW - Polydopamine KW - Ellipsometry PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3056298 VL - 13531 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - SPIE AN - OPUS4-63630 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -