On-demand underwater adhesives with excellent adhesive and gentle detachment properties enable stable connections to various biomedical devices and bio-interfaces and avoid the risk of harmful tissue damage upon detachment. Herein, we present a Janus hydrogel adhesive that can reversibly switch its adhesion strength, which is controlled by temperature, using a thermoresponsive polymer and mussel-inspired molecules. This thermoswitchable adhesive hydrogel displays both strong adhesion and gentle detachment with an over 1,000-fold gap in underwater adhesion strength. The thermoswitchability of the hydrogel adhesives, with its robust adhesion and gentle detachment, offers significant potential for biomedical applications characterized by minimally invasive procedures.
- Hiroya Abe
- Daichi Yoshihara
- Matsuhiko Nishizawa
