Super-Tough and Fast Adhesion of Soft Elastomer Based on Strong Noncovalent Interaction in Diverse Environments

Soft polymer adhesives to achieve high adhesion energy on both dry and wet surfaces in a simple and universal way is a significant challenge. Here, this work introduces an inherently adhesive and transparent elastomer that exhibits in situ adhesion capabilities across a variety of surfaces. These surfaces include, but are not limited to, glass, steel, aluminum, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) sheets, with the remarkable feature of requiring no chemical reaction for adhesion. The elastomer adhesive achieves a super-high adhesion force above 3000 N m(-1) within 10 min, far superior to previously reported intrinsically adhesive polymers. The strong adhesion derives from the increase in hydrogen bonding density between the adhesive elastomer and adherend, high mobility of polymer chains, and matrix hysteresis during interfacial separation. Moreover, the noncovalent interactions can weaken at low temperatures, allowing the intrinsically adhesive elastomer to be easily removed when frozen. The development of intrinsically adhesive and transparent elastomer with super-high adhesion force on both dry and wet surfaces provides a meaningful way for a wide range of applications.