Freezing-Tolerant Supramolecular Adhesives from Tannic Acid-Based Low-Transition-Temperature Mixtures.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Natural polyphenols, such as tannic acid (TA), are increasingly utilized as versatile components in advanced material design.
• Developing materials with enhanced properties, like freezing tolerance, is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the use of tannic acid in low-transition-temperature mixtures (LTTMs) for creating freezing-tolerant adhesives.
• To explore the self-assembly of guanosine into supramolecular viscoelastic materials facilitated by TA-based LTTMs.
• To evaluate the adhesive properties, stability at low temperatures, injectability, and biocompatibility of the developed materials.

Main Methods:

• Creation of LTTMs by combining tannic acid with betaine or choline chloride.
• Directed self-assembly of guanosine using TA-based LTTMs to form supramolecular viscoelastic materials.
• Molecular dynamics simulations to analyze hydrogen bonding and structural properties.
• Adhesion testing at cryogenic temperatures (-196 °C) and in vitro cytotoxicity assays using fibroblasts.

Main Results:

• Successful formation of supramolecular viscoelastic materials with high adhesion through TA-based LTTMs and guanosine self-assembly.
• Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed strong hydrogen bonding contributing to material stability.
• Achieved long-term, repeatable adhesion at -196 °C, attributed to TA's chemical structure and LTTM properties.
• Demonstrated injectability and low in vitro toxicity, indicating good biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• Tannic acid-based LTTMs are effective in creating freezing-tolerant, supramolecular adhesives with excellent low-temperature adhesion.
• The developed bioadhesives possess desirable properties like injectability and low toxicity, highlighting their potential for tissue repair.
• This research opens new avenues for designing multifunctional soft materials with inherent bioactive properties.