Contribution of the Polarity of Mussel-Inspired Adhesives in the Realization of Strong Underwater Bonding

Abstract

Although the role of 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-<i>L</i>-alanine(DOPA)in mussel foot proteins (mfps) in the realization of underwater bonding has been widely recognized, the role of the polarity of the polymer was largely overlooked. Here, by systematically comparing the underwater bonding properties of four mussel-inspired adhesives with different amide/lactam contents but similar catechol contents and molecular weights, we came to the conclusion that the polarity of the polymers also contributes to the strong underwater bonding. With the increase in the amide/lactam contents, the polarity of the polymeric adhesive increases, which correlates to the improved underwater bonding strength. A dielectric constant is introduced to evaluate the polarity of the polymer, which may be used as a guidance for the design of mussel-inspired adhesives with even better underwater bonding properties.