Reversible adhesives with controlled wrinkling patterns for programmable integration and discharging

Abstract

Switchable and minimally invasive tissue adhesives have great potential for medical applications. However, on-demand adherence to and detachment from tissue surfaces remain difficult. We fabricated a switchable hydrogel film adhesive by designing pattern-tunable wrinkles to control adhesion. When adhered to a substrate, the compressive stress generated from the bilayer system leads to self-similar wrinkling patterns at short and long wavelengths, regulating the interfacial adhesion. To verify the concept and explore its application, we established a random skin flap model, which is a crucial strategy for repairing severe or large-scale wounds. Our hydrogel adhesive provides sufficient adhesion for tissue sealing and promotes neovascularization at the first stage, and then gradually detaches from the tissue while a dynamic wrinkling pattern transition happens. The gel film can be progressively ejected out from the side margins after host-guest integration. Our findings provide insights into tunable bioadhesion by manipulating the wrinkling pattern transition.