Controlling mechanical properties of bio-inspired hydrogels by modulating nano-scale, inter-polymeric junctions

• Seonki Hong,
• Hyukjin Lee and
• Haeshin Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 887–894, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.101

• Womans University, Seoul 120–750, South Korea 10.3762/bjnano.5.101 Abstract Quinone tanning is a well-characterized biochemical process found in invertebrates, which produce diverse materials from extremely hard tissues to soft water-resistant adhesives. Herein, we report new types of catecholamine PEG

• derivatives, PEG-NH-catechols that can utilize an expanded spectrum of catecholamine chemistry. The PEGs enable simultaneous participation of amine and catechol in quinone tanning crosslinking. The intermolecular reaction between PEG-NH-catechols forms a dramatic nano-scale junction resulting in enhancement

• properties of bulk hydrogels. Keywords: catechols; hydrogels; poly(ethylene glycol)s; quinone tanning; Introduction Water-resistant adhesives secreted by marine mussels, stiff cuticles synthesized by insects, and sharp beaks found in squids appear to be drastically different biomaterials (Figure 1a–c) [1