Nucleobase-tackified Thioctic Acid-based Degradable and Recyclable Supramolecular Polymer Adhesives

Polymeric materials which can undergo controlled degradation and recycling are of great significance for a sustainable society. Although tremendous progress has been made in the degradation and recycling of both thermoplastic and thermoset plastics, the development of high-performance degradable polymer adhesives is rare. Here, we have prepared high-performance nucleobase-containing thioctic acid-based supramolecular polymer adhesives through free radical polymerization. The specific hydrogen-bonding interactions between complementary nucleobases greatly improve the weak cohesion of the thioctic acid-based polymers and enhance the environmental stability of the thioctic acid-based polymers simultaneously. Degradation of the nucleobase-containing thioctic acid-based supramolecular polymers is achieved by the reduction of the disulfide backbone, and the cycle of degradation and repolymerization is further achieved via oxidative polymerization. The adhesion strength of the nucleobase-containing thioctic acid-based supramolecular polymers after two cycles of degradation and repolymerization still reaches as high as 4.7±0.3 MPa. This work provides an approach for the development of environmentally stable and high-performance degradable thioctic acid-based adhesives.