Catechol-Containing Copolymers As An Active Ingredient for Denture Adhesives

Moisture inside the mouth adds challenge to making denture adhesives formulations. Some formulations have zinc to enhance adhesion on wet skin despite knowing the health hazards. Inspired by mussel foot proteins’ catechol unit’s strong underwater adhesion, nine catechol-containing copolymers (P1A-P3C) were synthesized by free radical polymerization of 3,4-dimethoxystyrene (3,4- DMS) with different styrene derivatives followed by deprotection. P1A-P3C were used to make Fn(P)-C-PBS denture adhesive formulations which had suitable shear stresses around ≥ 5 kPa satisfying ISO 10873. In-situ NMR studies of free radical polymerization of 3,4 - DMS and styrene derivatives allowed computation of their reactivity ratios showing all copolymers are random. This work has shown the potential of polystyrene-based catechol copolymers for next-generation denture adhesives