Mussel byssus cuticle-inspired low-carbon footprint soybean meal adhesives with high-strength and anti-mildew performance.

Bio-based adhesives, because of their prominent non-toxic and sustainable properties, have attracted great attention to replace conventional formaldehyde-based adhesives. However, most bio-adhesives have poor bonding properties and antimildew stability, which seriously hinder the practical application. Herein, a coordination structure-enhancement method for the preparation of bio-based adhesives was developed that avoids the use of large amounts of crosslinking agents and produces new bio-based adhesives with good properties. The wet bonding strength of this adhesive manufactured by introducing mussel byssus cuticle-inspired complexes (FeTA) and glycerol triglycidyl ether (GTE) is as high as 1.05 MPa, far exceeding that of pure soybean meal adhesive. In addition, the resulting adhesives showed superior thermal stability and mildew resistance. Life cycle assessment results indicate that the novel adhesive production process has a minimal environmental impact. Overall, this environmentally friendly bio-based adhesive demonstrated in this study could be a promising substitute for petrochemical-based formaldehyde adhesives. [Display omitted] • FeTA complexes with stable coordination bonds were obtained. • A bio-based adhesive with wet bonding strength of 1.05 MPa was designed. • By incorporating FeTA, the adhesive acquires excellent mildew resistance. • LCA confirms SMG-FeTA adhesive's low environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]