There remains room for improvement in adhesives for bonding living tissues. In an approach copied from the marine sandcastle worm, water-borne adhesives were formed by complex coacervation of synthetic copolyelectrolytes (co-PEs) that mimic polyphosphate and polyamine proteins of the natural sandcastle worm glue. The phase separated adhesive complex coacervates can be applied to and bond wet or fully-submerged tissues. The adhesives are cured by photo- or chemically initiated covalent crosslinking through methacryloyl sidechains. The stiffness and bond strength of the crosslinked adhesive complex coacervates can be modulated by creating additional polymer networks within the coacervated co-PE network. Polymerization of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG-dA) macromers entrapped during complex coacervate formation increased the modulus and bond strength of the crosslinked adhesives. The crosslinked complex coacervate adhesives with PEG networks swelled less than 1% over 30 days in physiological saline. Pre-clinical testing of the adhesive complex coacervates is in progress for applications during fetoscopic surgeries.

Crosslinkable complex coacervates for tissue repair after <i>in utero</i> surgery

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.

Crosslinkable complex coacervates for tissue repair after in utero surgery