Thermoresponsive adhesive material, method of making the material and methods of use

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a thermoresponsive adhesive material. The material comprises a linear, phase-separated polymer having fluorinated polymer units and hydrophobic polymer units. The fluorinated polymer units and the hydrophobic polymer units are randomly ordered along the polymer. The hydrophobic polymer units include a first hydrophobic polymer unit and a second hydrophobic polymer unit. The first hydrophobic polymer unit is chosen from acrylate units or methacrylate units each substituted with one or more linear alkyl groups, linear alkenyl groups or a combination thereof, where at least one of the linear alkyl groups or alkenyl groups has 16 to 20 carbon atoms. The second hydrophobic polymer unit is chosen from acrylate units or methacrylate units each substituted with one or more linear alkyl groups, linear alkenyl groups or a combination thereof, where at least one of the linear alkyl or alkenyl groups of the second hydrophobic polymer unit has 5 to 14 carbon atoms. A peak adhesive strength of the thermoresponsive adhesive material is modifiable and reversible with a change in temperature. Methods of making thermoresponsive adhesive materials, methods employing thermoresponsive adhesive materials and self-adhesive objects that include thermoresponsive adhesive materials are also disclosed.