Harnessing stereomicrostructural engineering for next-generation biodegradable adhesives

Adhesives are essential for material bonding, structural fixation, and functional composite applications, making them crucial for advancing modern industry and cutting-edge technologies. They achieve efficient bonding of heterogeneous materials through multi-scale chemical and physical mechanisms, including macrostructural interlocking (e.g., mechanical anchoring by infiltrating surface pores), microscale molecular chain entanglement (diffusion interpenetration or dynamic physical entanglements in thermoplastic polymers), and interfacial functional group interactions (chemical bonding via covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, or ionic bonds) (Figure 1A). By overcoming the limits of mechanical assembly and welding to deliver broad industrial benefits, this capability fuels demand in a global adhesive market now worth over $50 billion and growing at 4% annually.