Nucleotide-Tackified Degradable and Closed-Loop Recyclable Underwater Adhesive

Sustainable underwater adhesives have drawn much interest in promising applications and environmental engineering. However, developing a convenient strategy to combine recyclability and underwater adhesion into adhesive materials remains a formidable challenge. In this work, a degradable and closed-loop recyclable underwater adhesive tackifier is designed by nucleotide, via the ring-opening polymerization of thioctic acid in the presence of 5′-adenosine monophosphate and methacrylatoethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride. The nucleotide-tackified adhesives present an excellent underwater adhesion for various materials, tissues, and on-demand detachment adhesion behavior. The underwater adhesives demonstrate reusability, degradability, and closed-loop recyclability of dual monomers of thioctic acid and 5′-adenosine monophosphate. Interestingly, the waste residues of the underwater adhesives demonstrate processability and can be employed again in the construction of tough adhesive interfaces in both air and underwater, with further expanding sustainability. It is envisioned that the strategy of nucleotide-tackified sustainable underwater adhesives would offer promising insights for advancing sustainable and recyclable adhesive materials.