Light-Switchable Polymeric Adhesives: Mechanisms and Emerging Applications

Light-switchable polymeric adhesives have emerged as a promising category of smart materials capable of modifying their adhesion reversibly under light irradiation. This remote and non-contact adhesion control is enabled by light-triggered chemical, physical, mechanical, or combined effects in photoresponsive polymer systems. Their ability to bond and debond reversibly makes them highly appealing for various applications such as reusable adhesives, soft robotics, microfabrication, and biomedical technologies. This perspective introduces the fundamental principles of light-switchable polymeric adhesives and provides an overview of recent advancements in their design, characterization, and applications. Furthermore, the mechanisms of adhesion and detachment, design approaches, current challenges, and future directions for developing next-generation light-switchable adhesive systems are discussed.