 Research motivated by adhesive polyphenolic proteins in mussels led to the discovery in 2007 that a wide variety of materials, if placed in a solution of dopamine at slightly basic pH, will become coated with a layer of polymerized dopamine, often referred to as polydopamine.This polymerized dopamine forms by a spontaneous oxidation reaction, and is formally a type of melanin.Synthesis usually involves reaction of dopamine hydrochloride with Tris as a base in water.