Poly(ester amide)s derived from low-value plant oil as reusable low-temperature tolerant adhesives

Poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) are heterochain polymers consisting of repetitive ester and amide bonds. The development of PEAs derived from renewable biomass has attracted tremendous attention owing to their fascinating applications. In this work, plant oil derived 21-carbon dicarboxylic acid (C21DA) was utilized to achieve high-performance sustainable PEAs with excellent reprocessability. The presence of hydrogen bonding formed by ester, amide, and carboxyl groups can endow PEAs with strong cohesion and interfacial adhesion, which provides great opportunities for PEAs in hot melt adhesive applications. The mechanical properties of PEAs can be systematically manipulated by adjusting the compositions and cross-linking densities. These PEAs are thermally stable and possess extraordinary adhesion behavior, especially under low temperatures. Impressively, such a kind of PEAs shows outstanding tolerance even in liquid nitrogen (-196 °C). The combination of renewable low-value plant oil and PEAs can offer new avenues for designing novel bio-based reusable low-temperature tolerant adhesives.