α-Lipoic acid (LA), a natural cyclic disulfide, has emerged as a versatile building block for next-generation adhesives because of its ring-opening polymerization and dynamic disulfide exchange. This review summarizes recent advances in LA-based adhesives, focusing on strategies for stabilizing poly(LA) networks through radical quenching, supramolecular assembly, metal-ligand coordination, and deep eutectic architectures. We discuss the interfacial mechanisms underlying robust wet and underwater adhesion, where dense carboxyl groups enable multivalent hydrogen-bonding and ionic interactions. LA-based adhesives also integrate self-healing, recyclability, and intrinsic bioactivity, including antioxidant and antimicrobial functions. These features support applications in hemostasis, wound repair, wearable iontronics, and sustainable industrial bonding. Finally, key challenges, including the trade-off between network stability and dynamicity and the need for scalable manufacturing, are highlighted to guide the future development of circular, smart, and bioactive adhesive materials.
Ma et al. (2026) studied this question.