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Robust Electrostatically Interactive Hydrogel Coatings for Macroscopic Supramolecular Assembly via Rapid Wet Adhesion
Yijing Liu1, Rongzhuang Zhao1, Shaohua Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Researchers developed a new flexible spacing coating using poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels for macroscopic supramolecular assembly (MSA). This method enables rapid wet adhesion of diverse rigid materials through electrostatic interactions, significantly enhancing binding strength.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Macroscopic supramolecular assembly (MSA) utilizes non-covalent interactions for fabricating complex structures and enabling functionalities like bio-adhesion and self-healing.
- Achieving MSA with rigid materials requires a compliant 'flexible spacing coating,' but existing polyelectrolyte multilayers have limitations including complex fabrication and poor adhesion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile and robust method for creating a new flexible spacing coating for macroscopic supramolecular assembly (MSA).
- To demonstrate the ability of this new coating to enable rapid wet adhesion and strong interfacial binding between diverse rigid materials.
Main Methods:
- A poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogel was employed as a flexible spacing coating, utilizing electrostatic interactions for material assembly.
- Selective self-assembly of positively and negatively charged surfaces was induced by simple shaking in water.
- Interfacial binding forces were measured in situ, comparing oppositely charged assemblies with identically charged controls.
Main Results:
- The PHEMA hydrogel coating facilitated rapid selective self-assembly of diverse rigid materials (quartz, metal, rubber, plastics) within 3 minutes in water.
- The interfacial binding force for positive-negative assemblies reached 1018.1 ± 299.2 N/m², significantly exceeding controls (positive-positive: 24.4 ± 10.0 N/m²; negative-negative: 67.5 ± 16.7 N/m²).
- The coating demonstrated simple fabrication, strong substrate adhesion, solvent tolerance, and photo-patterning capabilities.
Conclusions:
- A novel and facile method for creating flexible spacing coatings using PHEMA hydrogels enables efficient macroscopic supramolecular assembly (MSA) of various rigid materials.
- The electrostatic-driven assembly provides rapid wet adhesion with significantly enhanced interfacial binding strength and selectivity.
- This strategy expands material choices for flexible spacing coatings and offers new pathways for rapid interfacial adhesion applications.
