Zinc induced polyelectrolyte coacervate bioadhesive and its transition to a self-healing hydrogel

Weina Wang; Yisheng Xu; Ang Li; Tao Li; Miaomiao Liu; Regine von Klitzing; Christopher K. Ober; A. Basak Kayitmazer; Li Li; Xuhong Guo

doi:10.1039/C5RA11915D

Zinc induced polyelectrolyte coacervate bioadhesive and its transition to a self-healing hydrogel†

Weina Wang,‡^ab Yisheng Xu,‡*^a Ang Li,^a Tao Li,^a Miaomiao Liu,^a Regine von Klitzing,^b Christopher K. Ober,^c A. Basak Kayitmazer,^d Li Li^a and Xuhong Guo*^ae

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* Corresponding authors

^a State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
E-mail: yshxu@ecust.edu.cn, guoxuhong@ecust.edu.cn

^b Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 124, D-10623 Berlin, Germany

^c Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-1501, USA

^d Chemistry Department, Bogazici University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Turkey

^e Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Engineering Research Center of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering of Xinjiang Bingtuan, Shihezi University, Xinjiang 832000, China

Abstract

To mimic the underwater adhesion of marine mussels, a bioadhesive has been prepared with a poly(acrylic acid) backbone functionalized with 30% catechol appendants. The polyelectrolyte chains can be reversibly crosslinked through metal chelation and irreversibly gelled by oxidative crosslinking. Surprisingly, the reported “poor” metal chelator Zn²⁺ not only imparts this injectable adhesive with superior adhesion after the formation of coacervation compared to the one chelated by a stronger metal crosslinker (e.g. Fe³⁺), but also generates good mechanical performance of the self-healing hydrogel after the oxidation of catechol groups with a pH trigger. Such a pH-responsive material with strong adhesion and good self-healing property at different conditions could be an ideal candidate in biomedical adhesion and tissue engineering.

RSC Advances

Zinc induced polyelectrolyte coacervate bioadhesive and its transition to a self-healing hydrogel†

Abstract

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