Temperature Responsive Polyelectrolyte Complexes:Bio-Inspired Wet-Adhesives

Summary

For wound closure, adhesives provide many advantages over the use of sutures. However, adhesives are not yet common practice in internal medicine, due to limited adhesive properties in wet conditions. Sandcastle worms are marine organisms that build protective shells from minerals found in their surroundings, which are stuck together by adhesive proteins. Inspired by the sandcastle worm’s glue, we developed polymers which allow easy application and good wettability of the adhesive for an optimal adhesive performance. Moreover, the adhesives could be cured by raising the temperature. In the thesis, we discuss the synthesis of the polymers and the adjustment of the material properties by changing the salt and polymer concentrations. Furthermore, we show that these polymers are a promising basis for the development of underwater adhesives.