All-cellulose colloidal adhesive

At present, adhesives widely used in various industries are mainly synthesized from organic chemical raw materials, and research on replacing traditional chemical raw materials with renewable biomass resources to synthesize adhesives is urgently needed. Adhesives possessing colloidal properties are highly favored due to their distinctive self-assembly capability, and robust reinforcement effects. Here, using cellulose as the sole raw material and following a simple and inexpensive strategy, we prepare a high-performance all-cellulose colloidal adhesive that is resistant to boiling water. We achieve a dry-shear strength of 1.97 MPa with this adhesive and a bonding strength of 0.81 MPa after a cycle of boiling-drying-boiling. The curing mechanism of the adhesive are verified using molecular dynamics simulations. These all-cellulose colloidal adhesives demonstrate great potential to replace traditional adhesives in the near future. Adhesives are commonly made from chemically synthesized raw materials. Here, a colloidal adhesive made entirely from cellulose shows strong mechanical properties and resistance to boiling water.