Recyclable surgical, consumer, and industrial adhesives of poly(α-lipoic acid)

Polymer adhesives play an important role in many medical, consumer, and industrial products. Polymers of α-lipoic acid (αLA) have the potential to fulfill the need for versatile and environmentally friendly adhesives, but their performance is plagued by spontaneous depolymerization. We report a family of stabilized αLA polymer adhesives that can be tailored for a variety of medical or nonmedical uses and sustainably sourced and recycled in a closed-loop manner. Minor changes in monomer composition afforded a pressure-sensitive adhesive that functions well in dry and wet conditions, as well as a structural adhesive with strength equivalent to that of conventional epoxies. αLA surgical superglue successfully sealed murine amniotic sac ruptures, increasing fetal survival from 0 to 100%.