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Salicylhydroxamic acid as an electro-responsive and switchable adhesive molecule.
Kan Wang1, Vedika Khare1, Abhilash Arjan Das1
1Biomedical Engineering Department, Michigan Technological University 1400 Townsend Drive Houghton Michigan 49931 USA bplee@mtu.edu.
Chemical Science
|April 13, 2026
Summary
Salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) is a novel electro-responsive molecule that enables switchable adhesion on metallic surfaces in wet conditions. This reversible adhesive bonding is achieved through protonation and deprotonation, offering potential for advanced adhesive technologies.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Developing switchable adhesives for wet environments is challenging.
- Existing materials like catechol-based polymers suffer from irreversible oxidation.
- Electro-responsive molecules offer tunable adhesion properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) as a new electro-responsive, switchable adhesive molecule.
- To evaluate the reversible adhesion switching of a SHAM-containing polymer on a metallic surface.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanism behind SHAM's electro-responsive adhesion.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a SHAM-containing polymer.
- Evaluation using a customized Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) contact mechanics setup with a titanium electrode.
- Electrochemical characterization using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
- Spectroscopic analysis including UV-vis, FTIR, and XPS.
Main Results:
- Electrical potential application reversibly reduced work of adhesion by 84% on a titanium surface.
- SHAM demonstrated fully reversible adhesion switching via protonation/deprotonation.
- Catechol-containing polymers showed irreversible oxidation and loss of adhesion.
- Comparable electrical conductivity was observed between SHAM and catechol polymers.
Conclusions:
- SHAM exhibits electro-responsive interfacial bonding to metallic surfaces under wet conditions.
- The reversible switching mechanism relies on the protonation and deprotonation of SHAM.
- SHAM is a promising candidate for designing new switchable adhesives without irreversible degradation.
