An Autolytic High Strength Instant Adhesive Hydrogel for Emergency Self‐Rescue

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 28; no. 42
• Main Authors: Cui, Chunyan, Wu, Tengling, Gao, Fei, Fan, Chuanchuan, Xu, Ziyang, Wang, Hongbo, Liu, Bo, Liu, Wenguang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 17.10.2018
• Subjects: adhesion; Adhesive strength; Adhesives; Biocompatibility; Bleeding; Calcium ions; Crosslinking; Glues; Glycine; High strength; high strength hydrogels; Hydrogels; Hydrogen bonding; Hydroxyapatite; Intestine; Maintenance; Materials science; Mechanical properties; Nanoparticles; organic–inorganic hybrids; Regeneration; Sealants; self‐rescue; Soft tissues; Substrates; Tissue engineering; Wound healing
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201804925

Adhesive hydrogels are promising to be explored as biomedical sealants, hemostatic agents, and glues in promoting wound healing and tissue regeneration. However, it is challenging to engineer a hydrogel combining instant robust adhesion and high strength. Herein, a high‐strength instantly self‐adhesive organic–inorganic hybrid (OIH) hydrogel by a one‐pot radical polymerization of N‐acryloyl 2‐glycine (ACG), biocompatible glycine derivative vinyl monomer with addition of hydroxyapatite (HAp), naturally occurring mineral is designed and fabricated. The hydrogen bonding from side chain of poly(N‐acryloyl 2‐glycine) (PACG), carboxyl‐Ca2+ ionic crosslinking together with PACG chain‐HAp physical interactions contribute to automatic self‐repairing high mechanical properties. Importantly, this OIH hydrogel exhibits robust adhesion to diverse substrates, presumably due to synergistic interactions of carboxyl with the substrate surface and the enhanced contact of PACG chains to adherent surfaces facilitated by HAp nanoparticles. Remarkably, the PACG‐HAp OIH hydrogels can instantly self‐adhere to the soft tissues with adhesion strength of 105 kPa, and anastomose the broken intestines, meanwhile promoting wound healing and stopping bleeding. The OIH hydrogel is autolytic in the body without eliciting inflammatory reaction. Further, the ready‐to‐use PACG‐HAp adhesive hydrogel can be properly stored for a long time. This novel hydrogel will find an appealing application as a new adhesive for emergency self‐rescue. A high strength autolytic hybrid hydrogel is fabricated by polymerization of glycine derivative vinyl monomer with addition of hydroxyapatite. This reversible noncovalent bonding toughened self‐healable hydrogel can instantly robustly self‐adhere to diverse substrates, in particular soft tissues, meanwhile promoting wound healing and stopping bleeding, and amazingly anastomose the broken intestine. The hydrogel holds promising potential as an emergency self‐rescue adhesive.