A Stretchable, Self-Adhesive, Underwater Swelling-Resistant Biocompatible Hydrogel

In the realm of flexible functional materials, hydrogels have emerged as a promising class, with a broad spectrum of potential applications spanning drug delivery, tissue engineering, and sensor technology. These applications capitalize on their distinctive hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. However, it remains a challenge to maintain stability in aqueous environments without sacrificing the fundamental advantages of hydrogels such as mechanical properties and adhesion. Herein, we introduced synergistic hydrophobic and hydrophilic networks and successfully prepared a novel solvent-resistant, stretchable, and self-adhesive hydrogel. Manufactured from methacrylamide (MAM), acrylic acid (AA), and chitosan (CHI) via a polymerization, this hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical strength and swelling resistance while maintaining good biocompatibility. The underwater self-adhesive and anti-swelling hydrogel would not only provide enticing potential for the application of hydrogels in biomedicine, environmental monitoring and underwater equipment maintenance, but also open up new possibilities for the high-performance application of flexible electronic devices.