DESIGN BIOINSPIRADO DE CORANTES

BIOINSPIRED DESIGN OF DYES

The history of the discovery, use, and development of dyes is closely linked to the history of humanity itself. Among the first records of human civilization are cave paintings made from, e.g., fruits, plants, minerals, and insects. Over the centuries, using different techniques, colors have been given to all types of materials and products, from clothing to food. The chemicals responsible for colors are dyes - a vast collection of molecules of the most varied compositions, but which have in common the absorption of light within the visible window of the electromagnetic spectrum. This article aims not only to review the properties of some classes of natural dyes, their origins, and their applications but also to describe the various computational chemistry methods involved in designing new bio-inspired molecules.