Phenol–amine synergy and mineral reinforcement
collectively
provide excellent mechanical properties to insect exoskeletons. An
advanced soybean meal (SM)-based adhesive, inspired by the insect
sclerotization, was developed by integrating tannic acid-functionalized
graphene (TA@G), amino-terminated hyperbranched aromatic polyether
(HBAP) and SM. TA@G was simultaneously produced and functionalized
in a green manner (tannic acid-assisted ball milling), and the active
surface of TA@G led to excellent dispersion in the adhesive matrix.
HBAP provided numerous reaction sites for the construction of phenol–amine
cross-linking network. The dry/wet shear strengths and adhesion work
of SM/HBAP/TA@G reached up to 2.59 MPa, 1.29 MPa, and 0.262 J, which
were 65.0%, 95.5%, and 66.9% higher than the pure SM (PSM) adhesive,
respectively. Compared with PSM, the residual rate of SM/HBAP/TA@G
increased to 72.8% from 61.4%, demonstrating enhanced water resistance.
The results indicated that more covalent bonds were generated in the
adhesive system, which was attributed to the Schiff base reaction
and Michael addition between TA@G and HBAP. The formation of massive
covalent bonds and the natural waterproof barrier of graphene resulted
in a remarkable improvement in SM-based adhesives. Therefore, this
simple bionic design strategy provided a novel approach to developing
super bioadhesives for the wood industry and could advance the development
of tough and strong composites.