Wet-Responsive, Reconfigurable, and Biocompatible Hydrogel Adhesive Films for Transfer Printing of Nanomembranes

This study presents a wet-responsive and biocompatible smart hydrogel adhesive that exhibits switchable and controllable adhesions on demand for the simple and efficient transfer printing of nanomembranes. The prepared hydrogel adhesives show adhesion strength as high as ≈191 kPa with the aid of nano- or microstructure arrays on the surface in the dry state. When in contact with water, the nano/microscopic and macroscopic shape reconfigurations of the hydrogel adhesive occur, which turns off the adhesion (≈0.30 kPa) with an extremely high adhesion switching ratio (>640). The superior adhesion behaviors of the hydrogels are maintained over repeating cycles of hydration and dehydration, indicating their ability to be used repeatedly. The adhesives are made of a biocompatible hydrogel and their adhesion on/off can be controlled with water, making the adhesives compatible with various materials and surfaces, including biological substrates. Based on these smart adhesion capabilities, diverse metallic and semiconducting nanomembranes can be transferred from donor substrates to either rigid or flexible surfaces including biological tissues in a reproducible and robust fashion. Transfer printing of a nanoscale crack sensor onto a bovine eye further demonstrates the potential of the reconfigurable hydrogel adhesive for use as a stimuli-responsive, smart, and versatile functional adhesive for nanotransfer printing.