Self-healing hydrogels

Biotechnology

Nanotechnology

Polymer chemistry

In vivo

Swelling

Membrane

Biofouling

Coacervate

Biology

Surgery

Composite material

Chemistry

Materials science

In vitro

Ex vivo

Azobenzene

Cyanoacrylate

Layer (electronics)

Wound healing

Adhesive

Adhesion

Polymer

Biochemistry

Medicine

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Adhesive hydrogels have been developed for wound healing applications. However, their adhesive performance is impaired dramatically due to their high swelling on wet tissues. To tackle this challenge, we fabricated a new type of non-swelling protein adhesive for underwater and in vivo applications. In this soft material, the electrostatic complexation between supercharged polypeptides with oppositely charged surfactants containing 3,4-dihydroxylphenylalanine or azobenzene moieties plays an important role for the formation of ultra-strong adhesive coacervates. Remarkably, the adhesion capability is superior to commercial cyanoacrylate when tested in ambient conditions. Moreover, the adhesion is stronger than other reported protein-based adhesives in underwater environment. The ex vivo and in vivo experiments demonstrate the persistent adhesive performance and outstanding behaviors for wound sealing and healing.

Genetically Engineered Polypeptide Adhesive Coacervates for Surgical Applications