Bioinspired Hydrogel-Polymer Hybrids with a Tough and Antifatigue Interface via One-Step Polymerization

Hydrogel hybrids are one of the key factors in life activities and biomimetic science; however, their development and utilization are critically impeded by their inadequate adhesive strength and intricate process. In nature, barnacles can stick to a variety of solid surfaces firmly (adhesive strength above 300 kPa) using a hydrophobic interface, which inspires us to firmly combine hydrogels and polymers through introducing an adhesive layer. By spreading a hydrophobic liquid membrane directly, tough combination of a hydrogel and a polymer substrate could be achieved after one-step polymerization. The fracture energy of the hydrogel attached to the surface of polyvinyl chloride was up to 1200 J m^-2 and the tensile strength reached 1.21 MPa. Furthermore, the adhesion samples with this method exhibit an antifatigue performance, having withstood large bends and twists. It should be pointed out that this approach can also be applied to a variety of complicated surfaces. This work may expand the application range of hydrogels and provides an inspiration for hydrogel adhesion.