Versatile Underwater Pressure Sensitive Adhesive: UV Curing Synthesis and Substrate-Independent Adhesion

The demand for underwater pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) is rapidly increasing in fields such as underwater engineering and biomedicine. However, the achievement of underwater adhesion of PSAs remains a challenge because of the hydration layer that hinders the interaction between the adhesive and the substrate. Herein, a new type of underwater PSA was synthesized by the copolymerization of hydrophobic unsaturated poly(1,2-butylene oxide) (UPBO) and hydrophilic itaconic acid monomers using solvent-free ultraviolet curing. The PSA has demonstrated substrate-independent underwater adhesion strengths ranging from 108 to 141 kPa on both hydrophilic (glass, wood, steel) and hydrophobic (PET, PMMA, PTFE) substrates. The underwater adhesion performance of PSA remains stable during 30 adhesion-detachment cycles and incubation in water for 20 days. Notably, PSA shows cytocompatibility, antimicrobial, and degradable properties and can be used for rapid hemostasis of skin wounds. Experimental characterizations confirm that the process of underwater adhesion is achieved by hydrophobic alkyl side chains of the PBO chain segments, which repel water at the adhesive-substrate interface. This study should provide both practical and facile design strategies for multifunctional underwater PSAs that can be used in a variety of applications.