Water-Activated Degradable Supramolecular Bioadhesive Powder for Underwater Tissue Adhesion and Wound Healing

Traditional suturing and stapling demand surgical skill and risk additional trauma, whereas conventional tissue adhesives falter on wet surfaces. Inspired by cement curing, a water-activated bioadhesive powder (WABP) was developed in this work. WABP was a mixture of tannic acid-terminated poly(lipoic acid) (TA-PLA) and arginine (Arg), in which the TA-PLA was synthesized through the Michael addition reaction of PLA containing disulfide radicals with TA possessing a radical quenching effect. Upon hydration, the powder swiftly formed a self-assembled coacervate adhesive, which exhibited antiswelling properties in underwater environments, a result of the combined effects of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic associations. The WABP, harnessing the attributes of both powder and coacervate adhesives, was adept at conforming to an irregular wound shape and delivered stable bioadhesive performance. It demonstrated superior wound healing capabilities, antibacterial properties, favorable cytocompatibility, and histocompatibility. This supramolecular WABP offers a simple, multifunctional alternative to sutures for biomedical applications.