3D light-curing printing to construct versatile octopus-bionic patches

Abstract

Reliable, fast and switchable gluing modes are critically important in medical adhesives and intelligent climbing robot applications. The octopus-bionic patch has attracted the attention of many scholars. The suction cup structure of the octopus achieves adhesion through differential pressure, showing strong adhesion in both dry and wet environments. However, the construction of the octopus-bionic patch remains limited in terms of adaptability, personalization and mass production. Herein, a composite hydrogel consisting of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and acrylamide (AAM) was developed, and a structure mimicking the octopus sucker was constructed by digital light processing (DLP). The obtained octopus-bionic patch has strong adhesion, good biocompatibility and multi-functionality. Compared with the template method in most studies, the octopus-bionic patch constructed by the DLP printing method has the advantages of customizability and low cost. In addition, the DLP printing method endows the patch surface with an octopus-like groove structure for a better bionic effect.