Scale-Spanning Strong Adhesion Using Cellulose-Based Microgels

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Biobased adhesive gels offer sustainable alternatives but struggle with combining toughness and strong adhesion.
• Polysaccharide-based gels often exhibit high toughness but weak interfacial adhesion due to hydration effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate highly tough microgel membranes with strong, persistent, and repeatable adhesion.
• To overcome the limitations of existing biobased adhesive gels in terms of mechanical properties and adhesion.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microgel membranes using loosely chemically cross-linked dihydroxypropyl cellulose (cDHPC) microgels.
• Characterization of microgel membrane properties, including tensile strength, toughness, and adhesive strength to various substrates.
• Evaluation of adhesion performance over multiple adhesion-detachment cycles.

Main Results:

• Developed cDHPC microgel membranes (average size 1.25 µm) with rough surfaces.
• Achieved high tensile strength (0.23 MPa) and toughness (73.8 KJ m⁻³).
• Demonstrated strong, instant, and persistent adhesion exceeding 320 KPa, with debonding work over 160 J m⁻², maintaining >200 KPa after five cycles.

Conclusions:

• The novel microgel membranes exhibit superior adhesive properties compared to most biobased and petroleum-based gels.
• Synergistic molecular and microscaled topological interactions contribute to the enhanced adhesion and mechanical properties.
• These findings highlight the potential of biobased microgel membranes in flexible smart materials and biomedicine.