The underwater glue of sandcastle worms is comprised of divalent cations, polyacidic, and polybasic proteins.  Synthetic polyelectrolyte analogs with the same sidechain chemistries (phosphates and amines) and sidechain molar ratios as the glue proteins, when mixed in similar proportions as the natural glue, formed complex coacervates with ideal properties for underwater adhesives, medical adhesives in particular. The coacervates are self-organized in water, water-borne yet water-immiscible, denser than water, adhere to wet surfaces, are ejectable through narrow cannulas, are containers for small molecules, and after crosslinking are dimensionally stable fully submerged in water.  In a rat model, biodegradable adhesive coacervates secured and maintained alignment of calvarial bone fragments during healing, did not impede new bone growth, showed no evidence of significant toxicity or persistent inflammation, and was largely degraded after 12 weeks.  Combining bioinspiration with engineering practices, bond strengths were substantially increased by incorporating additional phases into the adhesive coacervates.

Adhesive complex coacervates inspired by the sandcastle worm

242nd National Meeting (2011)

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