Rapid photocontrollable dopamine polymerization for instant adaptive wet adhesion

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Dopamine-based adhesives provide strong adhesion but suffer from slow polymerization and inhibition of radical processes.
• Existing methods for polydopamine hydrogel fabrication are often time-consuming and lack precise control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient photochemical strategy for rapid, in-situ fabrication of high-performance polydopamine-containing hydrogels.
• To achieve instant wet adhesion and enable spatially programmable fabrication using light control.

Main Methods:

• Integrated scalable synthesis of a protected dopamine derivative with photochemical design.
• Utilized simultaneous, light-controlled oxidative and radical polymerizations to form interpenetrated hydrogel networks.
• Demonstrated compatibility with extrusion-based 3D printing for complex architectures.

Main Results:

• Achieved rapid hydrogel formation within seconds, yielding tough adhesives with high polydopamine content.
• Exhibited strong adhesion across diverse wet and dry substrates, outperforming conventional systems.
• Successfully integrated flexible electroluminescent devices, demonstrating stability under deformation.

Conclusions:

• Established a versatile, light-driven platform for rapid and programmable adhesion.
• The developed hydrogels offer a promising solution for soft electronics and biointerfacing applications.
• This photochemical approach overcomes limitations of traditional dopamine-based adhesives.