Deformation-Resistant Underwater Adhesion in a Wide Salinity Range.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Conventional adhesives fail in aqueous conditions, limiting their use.
• Underwater adhesives are critical for biomedical and engineering applications.
• Existing adhesives struggle with varying salinity and osmotic pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel ionogel-based underwater adhesives.
• To enhance adhesion and cohesion in diverse saline environments.
• To create catechol-free adhesives with self-healing properties.

Main Methods:

• Copolymerization approach to create ionogels.
• Incorporation of "dynamic complementary cross-linking" networks.
• Synergistic engineering of ionogel components (building blocks, networks, pendant groups, counterions).

Main Results:

• Achieved high adhesion strength of ≈3.6 MPa in freshwater.
• Maintained steady adhesion strengths >3.3 MPa in hypersaline solutions (50–200 g kg⁻¹).
• Demonstrated excellent durability, salt tolerance, and self-healing properties.

Conclusions:

• Ionogel-based adhesives exhibit superior performance across a wide salinity range.
• Facile fabrication of catechol-free ionogel adhesives broadens their applicability.
• These adhesives offer robust, self-contained underwater bonding solutions.