Mussel-inspired photoreactive instant glue for environmental and biomedical applications
Nature-inspired smart materials offer numerous advantages over environment-friendliness and efficiency. Emulating the excellent adhesive properties of mussels foot proteins, where the Lysine is in close proximity with the 3, 4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (DOPA), embodiments report the synthesis of a novel photo-curable peptide-based adhesive consisting exclusively of these two amino acids. The adhesive is a highly concentrated aqueous solution of a monomer, a crosslinker and a photoinitiator. No toxicity of the adhesive was observed when the cytocompatibility on human dermal fibroblast cells was assessed. Lap-shear adhesion measurements on plastic and glass surfaces and comparison with different types of commercial adhesives showed that the adhesive strength of the disclosed glue is comparable when applied in the air and superior when used underwater. Given the convenience of the facile synthesis, biocompatibility, ease of application underwater and high adhesive strength, embodiments expect that the adhesive may find application, but not limited, to the biomedical field.
1 . A compound comprising:
a structure of Formula 1,
wherein a is from 1 to 6,
wherein R is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —O—(CH 2 ) b , and (CH 2 ) b , and wherein b is from 1 to 6, and
wherein n is 3 to 8 times higher than m.
2 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound is a water-based photoreactive adhesive material and wherein the compound is applied to a substrate under wet or dry condition.
3 . The compound of claim 2 , wherein the wet condition is salt water or water.
4 . A compound comprising:
a structure of Formula 2,
wherein n is 3 to 8 times higher than m.
5 . The compound of claim 4 , wherein n is 4 to 6 times higher than m.