2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Bioinspired underwater adhesives based on sequence-controlled polymer hydrogels
| Project/Area Number |
21K14676
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
范 海竜 北海道大学, 化学反応創成研究拠点, 特任助教 (20897277)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | hydrogel / underwater adhesion / sequence-control / cation-pi interactions |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
At present, the development of underwater adhesive gels is mostly based on random copolymerization/blending of bioinspired functional groups, lacking the understanding of the synergistic effect and the sequential effect of functional groups on adhesion. This severely restricts the accurate understanding of the underwater adhesion mechanism and the directional design of material properties.
In response to the above challenges, in this fiscal year, we established a facile method to synthesize hydrogels from the same pair of monomers but the different average sequences and to study the effect of the monomer sequence on the properties of bulk hydrogels. First, we discovered that solvent show strong influence on cationic/aromatic monomer copolymerization kinetics. In dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), polymer with adjacent-rich sequence can be synthesized, while, in dimethyl sulfate (DMS), polymers have a one-component-rich sequence. Based on this, we fabricated hydrogels in DMSO and DMS solvents and studied the effect of monomer sequences on their network structures as well as various properties, including swelling degrees, rheological properties, mechanical strength, and adhesiveness in water and saline solutions. This work provides a new approach for controlling the polymer sequence in hydrogels by tuning the reactivity ratios of the monomers. Moreover, this work indicates that the monomer sequence has a strong impact on the network structures and properties of related hydrogels, which has rarely been discussed in earlier studies.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.
Reason
In this fiscal year, we have successfully fabricated hydrogels with the same composition but different sequences, and systematically studied and revealed the relationship between monomer sequence and material properties. The related works have been published in three papers. The research is progressing more smoothly than initially planned.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The current results clearly showed that the monomer sequence has a strong effect on material properties. In the next research, we would like to fabricate more underwater adhesive materials with different components, sequences, and mesostructures; study the material properties; reveal the relationship between these structures and properties.
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| Causes of Carryover |
There are two reasons why the usage amount for the next fiscal year was generated. First, due to the influence of the coronavirus, the planned travel expenses could not be executed. Second,the most chemical reagents used in the current experiment were purchased before the fund was obtained.
For the above reasons, the initial estimated amount and the execution amount are different, but there is no change in the research plan. We will proceed with the research as planned, such as by allocating it to the article processing charge.
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