Robust Amphibious Adhesives With Rapid Underwater Bonding Capability Enabled by Solvent Engineering

ABSTRACT This study addressed the challenges of slow curing and insufficient strength associated with wet adhesives by proposing a design strategy based on the synergistic combination of solvent‐exchange‐driven physical curing and robust crosslinking networks. Olefin–maleic anhydride alternating copolymer was used as the polymer matrix, while dimethyl sulfoxide was utilized to dissolve the polymer and protect and activate its anhydride groups. 4,4′‐methylenebis(N,N‐diglycidylaniline), featuring both hydrophobic aromatic structures and epoxy functional groups, was introduced to create a pre‐crosslinked system. The adhesive underwent a rapidly solvent exchange process in contact with moist, with excellent properties for porous and flexible substrates such as wood. The underwater bonding strength of the adhesive can reach over 0.9 MPa indoor temperature, and it can even reach 1.25 MPa as the water temperature rises up to 80°C, and achieving instant bonding across multiple solvent environments. The pre‐established network enhanced the cohesive strength, significantly improving the long‐term water resistance and durability of the adhesive. Even under mild cold‐pressing conditions (30°C, 6 min), the cured adhesive exhibited excellent bonding performance, achieving a post‐boiling strength of 1.14 MPa and demonstrating broad substrate compatibility. This study provides a feasible processing strategy for developing rapid‐curing, high‐performance adhesives suitable for multiple environments.