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Robust Hydrogel Adhesion by Harnessing Bioinspired Interfacial Mineralization
Jun Zhang1, Yaya Wang2, Jiajun Zhang1
1Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|July 8, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a simple, universal method for robust hydrogel adhesion to diverse surfaces, even when wet. This bioinspired mineralized layer enhances material interfaces for applications like flexible electronics and energy harvesting.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Engineering
- Flexible Electronics
Background:
- Hydrogels are crucial for biomedical and flexible electronic applications, requiring strong adhesion to various substrates.
- Existing hydrogel adhesion methods often lack universality, simplicity, or robustness, especially in wet conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a universal and simple strategy for achieving robust interfacial adhesion between hydrogels and diverse substrates.
- To investigate the mechanism of adhesion enhancement through a bioinspired mineralized transition layer.
Main Methods:
- Constructing a bioinspired mineralized transition layer via ion diffusion and mineral deposition.
- Testing adhesion on various substrates including soft hydrogels, glass, aluminum, PET, nylon, and PDMS under wet conditions.
- Applying the strategy to single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs).
Main Results:
- Achieved strong interfacial adhesion between multiple hydrogel types and a wide range of substrates, including rigid solids and soft hydrogels, under wet conditions.
- The mineralized transition layer strategy proved generally applicable to various substrates and ionic pairs.
- The method is compatible with different fabrication approaches without compromising interfacial robustness.
- Demonstrated reliable signal generation in TENG devices due to the robust hydrogel-elastomer interface.
Conclusions:
- The bioinspired mineralized transition layer offers a universal, simple, and robust method for hydrogel adhesion.
- This strategy significantly enhances interfacial stability for hydrogel-based devices in demanding environments.
- The developed adhesion technique holds promise for advancing flexible electronics and energy harvesting technologies.
