Guanidinium-Functionalized Double-Sided Tape as a Robust Tissue Adhesive Combining Bulk Water Clearance and Interfacial Dehydration

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Authors: Vu Thi Tuyet Thuy, Lâm Tấn Hào, Hyo Jeong Kim, Dominik Voll, Patrick Théato
Cited by: 2
References: 45

Abstract

Water presents a fundamental challenge for tissue adhesives, requiring both the removal of bulk water and the interfacial hydration layer to achieve robust adhesion. Most marine-organism-inspired phenolic adhesives fail to meet key requirements for clinical use, including rapid, strong adhesion under physiological conditions, long-term stability, and scalable fabrication. Herein, we report a scalable guanidinium-functionalized double-sided tape (Gd + -DST) incorporating tannic acid that acts as a cross-linker and a phenolic adhesive component. This DST adheres within 5 s and achieves a record-high wet adhesion on porcine skin with interfacial toughness up to 1200 J m –2 and shear strength up to 210 kPa after being underwater for 24 h. This performance arises from a synergistic mechanism: the Gd + -DST matrix rapidly absorbs and removes bulk water while suppressing swelling via chain rearrangement, and guanidinium-mediated multifaceted interactions and chaotropic properties promote interfacial dehydration and hydrophobic reorganization. These processes enable spontaneous, time-dependent adhesion reinforcement without external stimuli. Our Gd + -DST is flexible and biocompatible and gradually disintegrates under physiological conditions while also serving as a platform for drug loading and delivery. This study establishes a practical, multifunctional underwater adhesive with clinical relevance and offers molecular-level insights into water removal adhesion mechanisms.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Polymer Surface Interaction Studies Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity Surgical Sutures and Adhesives

Publication details

Journal / source
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Volume
18
Issue
7
Pages
11008–11021
Publication date
9 February 2026
Language
EN