Gallol containing adhesive polymers

The gallol group, which contains three adjacent hydroxyl groups on a benzene, is a new bioinspired functional group for adhesives applications. The chemical structure of the gallol group possesses one more hydroxyl group on a benzene than the well-studied mussel-inspired adhesive group, catechol. Despite the small difference in chemical structure, gallol containing adhesive polymers show 7 times higher wet adhesion properties than the catechol containing adhesives under the identical experimental conditions. On account of the large enhancement of adhesion properties, the gallol containing adhesive polymers are gaining significant interest, and the related polymer science fields are expected to grow quickly. This review summarizes synthesis methods and diverse applications of gallol containing adhesive polymers. The goal of this review is to provide reasonable pathways for selecting and designing gallol containing polymer structures to maximize the adhesion properties for functional applications.