Precision Engineering of Polydopamine: Advances in Spatial Fabrication Techniques

Currently available patterning methods, such as lithographic techniques and inkjet printing approaches, heavily rely on material properties and specific applications. This motivates us to explore and develop patterning strategies tailored to the unique characteristics of materials. In this context, we discuss the advancements in site-specific fabrication and patterning of polydopamine (pDA), a versatile coating material widely utilized in biomedical devices. First, we provide a brief Review of the current understanding of the chemical structure of pDA, addressing the ongoing challenges related to its uncontrollability due to its heterogeneous nature. Following this, we examine the control of the shape and morphology during the growth of pDA in the solution phase. Lastly, we comprehensively cover various patterning strategies specifically developed and optimized for the pDA coating. Our goal is to offer insights into the controllable synthesis and fabrication of pDA. We anticipate that this Review will contribute to the advancement of precise and tailored pDA coatings, opening up possibilities for applications in diverse fields, particularly in integrated devices and molecular architecting.