Coacervate-Based Instant and Repeatable Underwater Adhesive with Anticancer and Antibacterial Properties

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Underwater adhesion is challenging due to surface hydration weakening intermolecular forces.
• Existing bio-inspired adhesives often have slow curing times and lack damage resilience.
• Marine organisms provide models for developing robust underwater adhesives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an instant and repeatable underwater adhesive.
• To investigate the coacervation of tannic acid and a triblock copolymer for adhesive applications.
• To evaluate the adhesive strength, repeatability, and biological properties of the developed material.

Main Methods:

• Coacervation of tannic acid (TA) and poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-PPG-PEG, F68) driven by hydrogen bonding.
• Utilizing hydrophobic cores of F68 micelles for enhanced cross-linking and mechanical properties.
• Assessing underwater adhesion strength on porcine skin and evaluating repeatability over 1000 cycles.

Main Results:

• The TA-F68 coacervates demonstrated robust and instant underwater adhesion up to 1.1 MPa.
• The adhesive exhibited excellent repeatability, enduring at least 1000 cycles.
• The material showed innate anticancer and antibacterial properties due to tannic acid's biological activity.

Conclusions:

• A novel, instant, and repeatable underwater adhesive was successfully developed.
• The adhesive shows superior performance compared to previously reported coacervates.
• The material holds significant potential for biomedical applications, including drug delivery and tissue repair.