Strong Dynamic Interfacial Adhesion by Polymeric Ionic Liquids under Extreme Conditions

Interfacial adhesion under extreme conditions has attracted increasing attention owing to its potential application of stopping leakages of oil or natural gas. However, interfacial adhesion is rarely stable at ultralow temperatures and in organic solvents, necessitating the elucidation of the molecular-level processes. Herein, we used the intermolecular force-control strategy to prepare four linear polymers by tuning the proportion of hydrogen bonding and the number of electrostatic sites. The obtained polymeric ion liquids displayed strong dynamic adhesion at various interfaces. They also efficiently tolerated organic solvents and ultracold temperatures. Highly reversible rheological behaviors are observed within a thermal cycle between high and ultracold temperatures. Temperature-dependent infrared spectra and theoretical calculation reveal thermal reversibility and interfacial adhesion/debonding processes at the molecular level, respectively. This intermolecular force-control strategy may be applied to produce environmentally adaptive functional materials for real applications.