Advancements of nanoparticle-based adhesive materials

Nanoparticle (NP)-based adhesives, an important class of adhesive materials, have been widely used in various fields. Through precisely engineering the surface-to-volume ratio and tailoring the surface chemistry of NPs, these NP-based adhesive materials can achieve remarkable adhesion strength, anisotropy, and responsiveness, which can adapt to a wide range of substrates and environments. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the recent progress of NP-based adhesive systems, including their design strategies, adhesion mechanisms, and applications. Firstly, we highlight the remarkable discoveries and advancements of NP-based adhesives over the past decades. Secondly, the representative interfacial interactions between NPs and substrates are summarized to elucidate the bonding mechanisms. We then systematically classify these systems into three main categories-unmodified NPs, NP-polymer composites, and NPs functionalized with polymer ligands-and review their corresponding applications. Finally, we discuss key challenges and prospect future opportunities for the development of NP-based adhesive materials.