Exploiting Redox-Complementary Peptide/Polyoxometalate Coacervates for Spontaneously Curing into Antimicrobial...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Science

Background:

• Peptide-based underwater adhesives are inspired by marine organisms but suffer from poor shear performance.
• Existing biomaterials struggle to balance interfacial adhesion with bulk cohesion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop advanced peptide-based underwater adhesives with improved shear adhesion and mechanical strength.
• To investigate a sequential approach for interfacial adhesion and bulk cohesion using redox-complementary coacervates.
• To explore the antibacterial properties of the developed adhesives.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of oxidative and reductive peptide/polyoxometalate (POM) coacervates.
• Sequential application and mixing of coacervates on target surfaces.
• Analysis of spontaneous curing mechanism via disulfide bond formation.
• Evaluation of adhesive mechanical strength and antibacterial activity.

Main Results:

• Individual coacervates showed good spreading but poor cohesion.
• Mixing redox-complementary coacervates resulted in spontaneous curing and enhanced adhesion.
• Disulfide bond formation, regulated by H5PMo10V2O40, improved cross-linking and mechanical strength.
• The POM-containing adhesives exhibited selective antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria.

Conclusions:

• Sequential control of interfacial adhesion and bulk cohesion is a viable strategy for high-performance underwater adhesives.
• Peptide/POM coacervates offer a promising platform for creating strong, bioactive, and biomimetic underwater adhesives.
• The developed adhesives demonstrate potential for applications requiring robust underwater bonding and antibacterial properties.