Pressure-sensitive adhesive utilizing molecular interactions between thymine and adenine

A simple pressure-sensitive adhesion (PSA) system incorporating noncovalent interaction between thymine and adenine is presented. A copolymer having thymine moieties is combined with a low-molecular-weight bifunctional adenine cross-linker. Molecular interactions caused by multiple hydrogen bonds between the thymine and adenine units are evaluated by FT-IR spectral measurement. Mechanical properties of the PSA are examined by stress–strain curves and dynamic mechanical analysis. As the number of adenine cross-linkers increases, Young's modulus increases from 0.24 to 3.0 MPa, and the glass transition temperature increases. Furthermore, it is found that the PSAs have adequate adhesive property from their shear strength test. Heat treatment at 80 °C is effective for reinforcement because of interchange of the hydrogen bonds. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 1332-1338