Instant and Tough Adhesives for Rapid Gastric Perforation and Traumatic Pneumothorax Sealing.

Abstract

Hydrogel adhesives are hot spots due to their ubiquity and practical relevance. However, achieving a robust wet adhesion is still a challenge due to the preferential formation of hydrogen bonds between interfacial fluids and bulk hydrogel, as well as targeted substrates. Herein, a half-dry adhesive consisting of a silk fibroin (SF) semi-interpenetrating network and poly(acrylic acid) covalent network, which can allow a rapid liquid adsorption and repulsion process encountering a wet tissue, is reported. The remaining water enables excellent hydrogel flexibility to a dynamic surface, while the β-sheet fold endows its tough bulk strength under the peeling-off process. Notably, the wet adhesion energy versus porcine skin is 1440 J m-2 due to the combination of hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and chain entanglement derived from SF. In particular, both in vitro and in vivo outcomes indicate excellent hemostatic effects and result in incision closure of skin, artery, gastric perforation, and lung. After the first-stage closure, polyacrylic-silk fibroin adhesive (PSA) sealants can detach from the lung surface, fitting well to the healing period. By virtue of the reliable adhesion and good noncytotoxicity, PSA may be a prospective candidate for tissue sealant and drug carrier applications.