Hydrogel Adhesion: A Supramolecular Synergy of Chemistry, Topology, and Mechanics

Abstract Adhering hydrogels to various materials is fundamental to a large array of established and emerging applications. The last few years have seen transformative advances in achieving strong hydrogel adhesion, which is a supramolecular phenomenon. Two adherends connect through covalent bonds, noncovalent complexes, polymer chains, polymer networks, or nanoparticles. Separating the adherends dissipates energy through cascading events across length scales, including bond cleavage, chain retraction, and bulk hysteresis. A unifying principle has emerged: strong hydrogel adhesion requires the synergy of chemistry of bonds, topology of connection, and mechanics of dissipation. This synergy characterizes…

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  National Science Foundation

  Award: DMR‐14‐20570