Paper Number
GN28                         My Program 

Session
Self-assemblies, Gels and Networks

Title
Exploring chemistries for hydrogel-based reversible adhesives

Presentation Date and Time
October 21, 2025 (Tuesday) 2:50

Track / Room
Track 2 / Sweeney Ballroom B

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

  1. Kopatz, Jessica W. (Sandia National Laboratories)
  2. Ghosh, Koushik (Sandia National Laboratories)
  3. Larkin, Elizabeth (Sandia National Laboratories)
  4. Secor, Robert (University of New Mexico)
  5. Rao, Rekha R. (Sandia National Laboratories)
  6. Murphy, Micah (Sandia National Laboratories)
  7. Dorman, Warner (Sandia National Laboratories)
  8. Roberts, Christine C. (Sandia National Laboratories)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Jessica W. Kopatz1, Koushik Ghosh1, Elizabeth Larkin1, Robert Secor2, Rekha R. Rao1, Micah Murphy1, Warner Dorman1 and Christine C. Roberts1
1Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87123; 2University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87123

Speaker / Presenter 
Kopatz, Jessica W.

Keywords
gels; industrial applications; interfacial rheology; polymer blends

Text of Abstract
Removable and reversible adhesives are tracking interest across a multitude of industries where there is a need to separate desirable and expensive materials (i.e. precious metals) from traditional encapsulant materials for recyclability. In contrast to exploiting carcinogenic burn pits, removable adhesives offer a safer-option by utilizing benign stimuli, such as water, for their release. Inspired by previous work (Cho et al., 2019, 10.1073/pnas.1818534116) focused on snail epiphragm-a mucus-derived structure enabling strong dehydration-activated bonding, we present a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogel crosslinked with polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGMA) that achieves strong adhesion through intrinsic hydration-dependent phase transitions. When hydrated, the softened gel conformally adapts to rough target surfaces through low-energy deformation. Upon drying, the gel's modulus increases locking in the adapted shape and enabling strong topographic interlocking with minimal residual stress. Rehydration, modulated by PEGMA content, triggers shape recovery, facilitating easy detachment and reversibility. This work provides an overview of the influence of polymer chemistry, photoinitiators, interpenetration, and chemical crosslinking on adhesive performance and water diffusion rates. Hydrogels stamped with various patterns are explored to investigate water uptake rates, which is optimized through a computational finite element model of capillary wicking. In conclusion, this study overcomes the traditional trade-off between adhesion strength and reversibility, offering potential applications in manufacturing, medicine, and temporary bonding processes where contamination-free detachment is crucial. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE -NA00035