High-Strength Hydrogel Adhesive Formed via Multiple Interactions for Persistent Adhesion under Saline.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Hydrogel adhesives are crucial for wet environments, but achieving persistent and strong adhesion remains difficult.
• Existing hydrogel adhesives often degrade or lose strength in saline conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-strength hydrogel adhesive with durable adhesion in saline environments.
• To engineer a hydrogel with controlled swelling and high mechanical strength for underwater applications.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a dual-network hydrogel comprising a polyacrylamide network and an alginate network.
• Incorporated polydopamine nanoparticles for enhanced underwater adhesion.
• Utilized covalent, noncovalent, and ionic cross-linking strategies.

Main Results:

• Achieved low swelling rates and high compressive strength in the hydrogel.
• Demonstrated persistent underwater adhesion with only a 24.79% decrease in lap-shear adhesion strength after 21 days in saline.
• Confirmed good cytocompatibility of the developed hydrogel.

Conclusions:

• The facile strategy successfully created high-strength hydrogel adhesives for durable saline and underwater adhesion.
• The dual-network hydrogel with polydopamine nanoparticles offers a promising solution for challenging wet adhesion scenarios.
• The hydrogel's cytocompatibility suggests potential for biomedical applications.