Seeking Answers from Tradition: Facile Preparation of Durable Adhesive Hydrogel Using Natural Quercetin

Abstract

Summary Adhesive hydrogels containing catechol moieties have many important applications, but the fabrication of effective long-lasting adhesive hydrogels remains a challenge because of oxidative damage. Inspired by the traditional use of quercetin in ancient China, here, we have developed a novel method, based on quercetin-assisted photoradical chemistry, to fabricate a durable adhesive hydrogel, Q-hydrogel. In the presence of light, quercetin generates quinone/semiquinone radicals, which subsequently interact with ammonium persulfate (APS) to produce a large amount of free radicals and initiate polymerization of the hydrogel. As-prepared Q-hydrogel showed good mechanical and adhesive properties, which were attributed to the inherent structural advantages of quercetin. Because of the resistance of quercetin to oxidation, as-prepared Q-hydrogel also showed good adhesive properties even after treatment with oxidizing agents. Capitalizing on its conductivity and adhesive properties, Q-hydrogel was successfully used to produce wearable sensors capable of detecting human motion.

Highly Stretchable, Swelling-Resistant, Self-Healed, and Biocompatible Dual-Reinforced Double Polymer Network Hydrogels

“…(d) Young’s modulus and mechanical toughness of hydrogels with different compositions. (e–g) Comparison of the present hydrogels with those from the literature ,,,,,,,,,, in terms of (e) fracture strength, (f) Young’s modulus, and (g) toughness relative to the critical strain.…”

“…As the next step, a cyclic tensile test was conducted for the SA(Ca 2+ )−PAA−SiO 2 hydrogel to determine the recovery Comparison of the present hydrogels with those from the literature 3,6,18,21,26,27,35,37,43,48,49 in terms of (e) fracture strength, (f) Young's modulus, and (g) toughness relative to the critical strain. efficiency.…”

“…The combination of solid-like mechanical performances with liquid-like transport properties enables hydrogels with the ability to adapt to different shapes and deformation requirements, 12,13 adhesion to different surfaces, 14,15 as well as selfhealing ability. 10,15−17 Normally, hydrophilic polymers such as polyacrylamide (PAM) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) are desirable materials for preparing hydrogels due to their amide and carboxyl groups as pendants 18 and their propensity to soak up water, which makes them suitable candidates for creating hydrated structures that resemble native soft tissues. 19,20 Additionally, neutralized PAA could function as tissue scaffolds for wound and bone repair due to their excellent biocompatibility.…”

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“…NPs are also employed in tissue adhesives to increase durability and stability and to provide reliable adhesion until wounds are completely healed. For example, they contribute to producing long-lasting adhesive hydrogels containing catechol moieties, which under normal conditions would be oxidized to quinone groups and hence lose adhesion [15,16]. Xiao et al, first described a durable adhesive hydrogel based on quercetin-assisted photo-radical chemistry [16].…”

“…For example, they contribute to producing long-lasting adhesive hydrogels containing catechol moieties, which under normal conditions would be oxidized to quinone groups and hence lose adhesion [15,16]. Xiao et al, first described a durable adhesive hydrogel based on quercetin-assisted photo-radical chemistry [16]. With similar ideas, Gan et al developed an Ag-Lignin NP to construct a dynamic redox system to maintain the quantity of catechol groups, thus ensuring long-lasting adhesiveness [15].…”