Design Strategy for Water/Temperature-Resistant Acrylic-Based Adhesives with Green Recall

Adhesives that are durable, recyclable, and cost-effective are highly attractive for both environmental and economic reasons. Although polyurethane- and epoxy-based adhesives have good weather resistance, they are difficult to recycle and expensive. Acrylic-based adhesives have high adhesion strength and low cost but perform poorly in wet and hot environments due to their susceptibility to attack by water molecules. Here, we demonstrate a hydrogen bond (H-bond) protection strategy based on the α-methyl group that can significantly improve the stability of adhesives in aqueous and thermal environments without chemical cross-linking, which is not conducive to green recycling. This strategy results in an adhesive with an adhesion strength of 2.2 MPa at 80 °C underwater. Reversible and mild aggregation not only allows the adhesive to be completely green recovered but also applies to biofriendly adhesion. This strategy contributes to cost-effective and environmentally friendly adhesive solutions.