Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
07:04
Synthesis of Strong Adhesive Hydrogel, Gelatin O-Nitrosobenzaldehyde
Published on: November 11, 2022
2.7K
Covalent Adaptable Ionic Networks for Robust, On-Demand Dismantlable and Fully Recyclable Adhesives
Yang Ding1, Jiawei Xie1, Longfu An1
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|April 30, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed advanced adhesives using covalent adaptable ionic networks (CAINs) for robust, on-demand debonding and recyclability. These materials offer exceptional strength and waterproof performance, enabling sustainable manufacturing solutions.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Sustainable Engineering
Background:
- On-demand debonding is crucial for advanced adhesives but remains challenging.
- Current adhesives often lack recyclability or sufficient performance.
- Developing sustainable and high-performance adhesive solutions is a key industrial need.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize robust, on-demand debondable, and fully recyclable adhesives.
- To investigate the performance characteristics of these novel adhesives, including adhesion strength, low-temperature tolerance, and waterproof capabilities.
- To establish a versatile platform for sustainable adhesive technologies.
Main Methods:
- Construction of covalent adaptable ionic networks (CAINs) by integrating poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) and covalent adaptable networks (CANs).
- Characterization of adhesion strength on stainless steel and shear strength after liquid nitrogen immersion.
- Evaluation of debonding performance using ethanol treatment and assessment of recyclability over multiple cycles.
- Mechanistic studies to elucidate the roles of covalent crosslinking and hydrogen bonding in adhesion.
Main Results:
- CAINs demonstrated exceptional adhesion strength (>15 MPa on stainless steel) and maintained high shear strength (11.0 MPa) after liquid nitrogen exposure.
- The adhesives exhibited remarkable hydrophobicity and excellent waterproof performance due to bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anions.
- Facile on-demand debonding was achieved with ethanol treatment, allowing efficient material recovery and minimal performance degradation over multiple cycles.
- Mechanistic studies confirmed covalent crosslinked networks as the primary contributor to high adhesion.
Conclusions:
- A novel strategy for designing high-performance, dismantlable, and recyclable adhesives based on CAINs has been established.
- These adhesives offer a promising solution for sustainable adhesive technologies in advanced manufacturing and materials engineering.
- The developed platform provides a versatile approach for creating advanced materials with tailored debonding and recyclability properties.
Related Concept Videos
02:18Network Covalent Solids
12.9K
Network covalent solids contain a three-dimensional network of covalently bonded atoms as found in the crystal structures of nonmetals like diamond, graphite, silicon, and some covalent compounds, such as silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (carborundum, the abrasive on sandpaper). Many minerals have networks of covalent bonds.
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
12.9K
01:20Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
1.8K
The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...
1.8K
01:24Adherens Junctions
5.8K
Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types – adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
5.8K
01:14Cell Adhesion in Plants
2.4K
Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose,...
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose,...
2.4K
02:35Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules
28.0K
Noncovalent attractions are associations within and between molecules that influence the shape and structural stability of complexes. These interactions differ from covalent bonding in that they do not involve sharing of electrons.
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...
28.0K
00:42Ionic Bonds
112.9K
Overview
When atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a more stable electron configuration they form ions. Ionic bonds are electrostatic attractions between ions with opposite charges. Ionic compounds are rigid and brittle when solid and may dissociate into their constituent ions in water. Covalent compounds, by contrast, remain intact unless a chemical reaction breaks them.
Opposing Charges Hold Ions Together in Ionic Compounds
Ionic bonds are reversible electrostatic interactions between ions...
When atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a more stable electron configuration they form ions. Ionic bonds are electrostatic attractions between ions with opposite charges. Ionic compounds are rigid and brittle when solid and may dissociate into their constituent ions in water. Covalent compounds, by contrast, remain intact unless a chemical reaction breaks them.
Opposing Charges Hold Ions Together in Ionic Compounds
Ionic bonds are reversible electrostatic interactions between ions...
112.9K