Facile preparation and characterization of photopolymerized adhesive hydrogels based on methacrylated catechol-chitosan

The methacrylated catechol-chitosan (MCCS) was facile prepared using chitosan (CS) sequential crosslinked with 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde (THB) and methacrylic anhydride (MA) in mild conditions and then was induced into adhesive hydrogel by photopolymerization with photoinitiator. Structure and morphology of the MCCS adhesive hydrogel were characterized by FTIR, UV, XRD, H-1 NMR, and SEM. Physical properties of the MCCS adhesive hydrogel including swelling, degradation, rheology, and adhesive strength were also investigated. These results show that the MCCS adhesive hydrogel with ideal elasticity and good mechanical properties can be quickly obtained by UV (365 nm) irradiation, endowing the photocrosslinked hydrogel exhibits controllable degradation rate and improved adhesive strength. The ultimate adhesion strength of MCCS hydrogel is up to 62.33 kPa, which is more than twice that of hydrogel prepared by CCS. Additionally, the MCCS hydrogel has good cell compatibility and antibacterial activity. The MCCS hydrogel may be a promising candidate material for the development of medical bioadhesives.