Bioinspired Underwater Bonding and Debonding on Demand

Abstract

Mussel glue: Bioinspired underwater chemical bonding with the possibility of phototriggered debonding is reported. A four-arm star-poly(ethyleneglycol) end-functionalized by nitrodopamine was synthesized. The nitrodopamine offered the reactivity of catechol and the chemistry of the photocleavable o-nitrophenyl ethyl group (see picture).