Researchers at the Adolphe Merkle Institute have developed a groundbreaking adhesive inspired by shellac — a natural resin secreted by insects. This new material not only forms strong bonds between a wide variety of surfaces but also allows for easy separation and reuse of the parts upon heating. The innovation has the potential to transform manufacturing and recycling practices across industries such as electronics, automotive, and robotics.

Conventional adhesives are typically permanent, posing challenges for repair and recycling. To overcome this limitation, the Polymer Chemistry and Materials group at AMI has long explored reversible bonding technologies. Their latest development draws inspiration from shellac, a resin produced by the lac bug, traditionally harvested in India and Thailand. Shellac is known for its durability and gloss, and has been used for centuries in food glazes, wood finishes, and cosmetics. It is also known as an adhesive that combines strong adhesion and thermal reversibility. However, natural shellac has drawbacks—its properties vary significantly depending on its source and purification method, and it degrades with age. These inconsistencies are undesirable in modern applications.

The AMI researchers have now created a synthetic adhesive that mimics the beneficial features of shellac while overcoming its shortcomings. Their bioinspired glue is twice as strong as the natural resin and significantly outperforms other reversible adhesives. Better yet, it can be efficiently produced at scale, making it suitable for industrial deployment.

Laboratory testing revealed excellent bonding performance with materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, wood, and glass — the latter of which broke before the adhesive itself failed. Unlike many traditional adhesives that degrade or irreversibly cross-link under heat or solvent exposure, this new material remains stable under normal use. Even after extended exposure to water or ethanol, it retained strong bonding capabilities.

The glue’s “debonding-on-demand” feature makes it especially appealing for sustainable design. It allows components to be disassembled and and reused easily, supporting circular economy principles. Potential applications range from repairable consumer electronics to recyclable car parts.

The research team has filed a patent for the adhesive and expects strong commercial interest due to its versatility, performance, and environmental benefits. The work was supported by Innosuisse (the Swiss Innovation Agency) and the Adolphe Merkle Foundation, and the findings were recently published in the journal ACS Macro Letters.

Reference: Skandalis, A.; Ayer, M. A.; Weder, C. Bioinspired Adhesives with Debonding-on-Demand Capability. ACS Macro Lett. 2025, 420–427. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.5c00035.