Multifunctional polymer-free mineral plastic adhesives formed by multiple non-covalent bonds.

Supramolecular adhesives have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, resulting in their development for different applications. However, creating supramolecular adhesives with reversible and reusable properties is still a challenge. Here, a synthesis route to obtain supramolecular adhesives is presented in which no polymeric compounds are involved in the preparation. The adhesive is formed by intermolecular coulomb forces between amorphous magnesium carbonate nanoparticles and the low-molecular-weight drug ibuprofen, which results in an amorphous composite material that is transparent, shapeable, stretchable and self-healing, making it reusable. It is demonstrated that this hybrid material provides a simple means of gluing a wide variety of materials, including metals, glass, paper and plastics, and that is reversible and possesses reusability. The material disrupts the traditional concept of polymer-based adhesives and may be used as a sustainable mineral plastic in applications such as 3D printing.