An Artificial Phase-Transitional Underwater Bioglue with Robust and Switchable Adhesion Performance.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Adhesion Science

Background:

• Complex coacervation is crucial for wet adhesion in biological and synthetic systems.
• Existing synthetic coacervate adhesives suffer from limited wet adhesion, lack of thermoresponsiveness, and poor biodegradability, hindering practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a temperature-sensitive wet bioadhesive with tunable mechanical properties.
• To overcome the limitations of current synthetic coacervate adhesives through protein design and supramolecular assembly.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a bioadhesive system using recombinant protein and surfactant.
• Utilizing supramolecular assembly principles and rational protein design.
• Investigating the effect of temperature on the adhesive's mechanical performance and adhesion strength.

Main Results:

• The developed bioadhesive demonstrates actively tunable mechanical performance via thermal triggers.
• Adhesion strength increased from approximately 50 kPa at cold conditions to up to 600 kPa at elevated temperatures.
• Achieved significantly enhanced wet adhesion bonding compared to other biological adhesives.

Conclusions:

• The engineered protein's thermally triggered phase transition and coacervate formation are responsible for enhanced wet adhesion.
• This novel temperature-sensitive bioadhesive offers a promising alternative to existing synthetic adhesives.
• Potential for broad applications in areas requiring tunable and robust wet adhesion.