Gelation of highly entangled hydrophobic macromolecular fluid for ultrastrong underwater in situ fast tissue adhesion

Abstract

Although strong underwater bioadhesion is important for many biomedical applications, designing adhesives to perform in the presence of body fluids proves to be a challenge. To address this, we propose an underwater and in situ applicable hydrophobic adhesive (UIHA) composed of polydimethylsiloxane, entangled macromolecular silicone fluid, and a reactive silane. The hydrophobic fluid displaced the boundary water, formed an in situ gel, bonded to tissues, and achieved exceptional underwater adhesion strength. Its underwater lap shear adhesion on porcine skin was significantly higher than that of cyanoacrylate and fibrin glues, demonstrating excellent water resistance. The burst pressure of UIHA on porcine skin was 10 times higher than that of fibrin glue. The cytocompatible UIHA successfully sealed ruptured arteries, skin, and lungs in rats, pigs, rabbits, and dogs. Together, the gelation of highly entangled hydrophobic macromolecular fluid provided a means to prepare underwater bioadhesives with strong bonding to tissues and excellent water resistance.

Povidone–iodine enhanced underwater tape

“…Compared with previous reports, our tape has shown remarkable bonding ability, comparable to that of hydrogel adhesives, with excellent maneuverability. 26,27 What is more valuable is that a moderate bond strength can not only ensure that the dressing does not fall off while protecting the wound, but also avoids a secondary injury to the wound when the dressing is replaced with too firm bond strength.…”

Nature‐Derived Okra Gel as Strong Hemostatic Bioadhesive in Human Blood, Liver, and Heart Trauma of Rabbits and Dogs

“…Most current bioadhesives have challenges to overcome when used in a scenario of a wet bleeding environment. [87] When applied to the wound, the bleeding accelerates the adhesives' debonding, which leads to failure to seal the injured tissue interface. [50,51] The okra gel we reported shows remarkable underwater bonding strength and resistance to bursting pressure.…”

Bio‐inspired adhesive hydrogel for biomedicine—principles and design strategies

“…used two polyelectrolytes of the same charge, by which the π‐cation interactions overcome electrostatic repulsion to generate an adhesive coacervate 135 . Hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic forces, etc., have also been studied to drive coacervation 207–209 . Besides, biomineralization also inspires studies on the adhesion of hybrid hydrogels 59,210 .…”