Abstract
Water soluble copolypeptides containing l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and l-lysine were prepared by ring-opening polymerization of alpha-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomers. We have prepared a range of different copolymers to probe the effects of functional group composition on adhesive and cross-linking behavior. Aqueous solutions of these copolymers, when mixed with a suitable oxidizing agent (e.g., O2, mushroom tyrosinase, Fe3+, H2O2, or IO4-), formed cross-linked networks that were found to form moisture-resistant adhesive bonds to a variety of substrates (e.g., aluminum, steel, glass, and plastics). It was found that successful adhesive formation was dependent on oxidation conditions, with chemical oxidants giving the best results. Optimized systems were found to form adhesive bonds that rival in strength those formed by natural marine adhesive proteins. Our synthetic systems are readily prepared in large quantities and require no enzymes or other biological components.
Keywords
AdhesiveMonomerOxidizing agentCopolymerPolymer chemistryAqueous solutionChemistryPolymerizationTyrosinaseOrganic chemistryPolymerEnzymeLayer (electronics)
Affiliated Institutions
Related Publications
Self-Assembly of 10-μm-Sized Objects into Ordered Three-Dimensional Arrays
This paper describes the self-assembly of small objects--polyhedral metal plates with largest dimensions of 10 to 30 microm--into highly ordered, three-dimensional arrays. The p...
Single-molecule mechanics of mussel adhesion
The glue proteins secreted by marine mussels bind strongly to virtually all inorganic and organic surfaces in aqueous environments in which most adhesives function poorly. Studi...
Mussel Adhesive Protein Mimetic Polymers for the Preparation of Nonfouling Surfaces
A new biomimetic strategy for modification of biomaterial surfaces with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was developed. The strategy exploits the adhesive characteristics of 3,4-dihy...
Metal‐Mediated Cross‐Linking in the Generation of a Marine‐Mussel Adhesive
Iron muscles into mussels: Marine mussels adhere to rocks with a protein-based glue. An iron complex is the key curing agent in this adhesive, and the iron center is coordinated...
Polydopamine Surface Chemistry: A Decade of Discovery
Polydopamine is one of the simplest and most versatile approaches to functionalizing material surfaces, having been inspired by the adhesive nature of catechols and amines in mu...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1998
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 15
- Pages
- 4739-4745
- Citations
- 412
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
412
OpenAlex
Cite This
Miaoer Yu,
Timothy J. Deming
(1998).
Synthetic Polypeptide Mimics of Marine Adhesives.
Macromolecules
, 31
(15)
, 4739-4745.
https://doi.org/10.1021/ma980268z
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1021/ma980268z