(162u) A Mussel Inspired Catechol Polymer: Is It Sticky?
AIChE Annual Meeting
2020
2020 Virtual AIChE Annual Meeting
Materials Engineering and Sciences Division
Poster Session: Materials Engineering & Sciences (08B - Biomaterials)
Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 8:00am to 9:00am
Mussel foot proteins are an inspiring material for adhesives that can work in challenging, saline environments. There has been a focus on the high concentration of L-DOPA within the proteins believed to be the source of strong adhesion. The nature of catechols in general provides for both interactions of the aromatic group and the hydroxyl groups for hydrogen bonding with surfaces. The carboxylic acid groups on amino acids like L-DOPA make these molecules particularly sensitive to the pH of the environment, which the mussel appears to exploit to regulate their adhesive interaction. The catechols are also active electrochemically expanding the methods that can be used to control their interactions.
Here, we will present work on a catechol based polymer. The adhesive properties have been tested using the surface forces apparatus, a force sensitive technique, which uses multiple beam interferometry to track the confined thickness of the material. The polymer was confined between various surfaces in order understand its adhesion, also in a range of electrolyte environments (salt concentration, pH etc.) to mimic real world conditions. The results will be put into the context with the performance of biocompatible adhesives, with a particular view to medical and biomedical engineering applications that present these challenging saline environments in the real world.