Succinamide ester-containing adhesive hydrogels with controllable degradation for biomedical applications
Bin Zhu, Yurong Chen, Xueling Yang, Ye Zhu, Yiyang Zhao, Qingzu Liu, Binhui Wang, Sergio Martín‐Saldaña, Yinghui Wang, Wanglin Duan, Luyao Feng, Baoji Du, Jinqing Li, Yazhong Bu
Abstract
It is crucial to regulate the degradation rate of adhesive hydrogels for achieving their advanced biomedical applications. Here, a series of succinamide ester-containing adhesive hydrogels were fabricated with controllable degradation through adjusting cyclization degradation behavior. First, the degradation mechanism of succinamide ester-containing adhesive hydrogels is demonstrated through model molecules and theoretical calculations. Then, the degradation time is tuned from a few hours to several tens of days through multiple strategies. Notably, in vivo experiments reveal that the correlations and distinctions between in vitro and in vivo degradation patterns of adhesive hydrogels. Using animal models, it is demonstrated that the optimal degradation rates are specific to their intended applications. Finally, this degradation control method can be expanded to cryogels. This work provides fundamental insights into succinamide ester-containing adhesive hydrogel degradation control and delivers practical guidelines for designing degradable biomaterials tailored to specific applications.