https://en.people.cn/n3/2025/1113/c90000-20390237.html

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02400-w

A team of Chinese scientists from Zhejiang Universityhas developed a new polymer material so efficient that an adhesive patch the size of a fingernail can pull a car.

Inspired by ancient weaving techniques, the scientists  intertwined flexible and rigid polymer chains at a molecular level, creating a material with exceptional strength and toughness, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature Materials. Instead of simply mixing them, they devised a method to “weave” them together, using flexible polyurethane chains as a warp thread and rigid epoxy resin chains as a weft thread to create a durable textile.

This molecular architecture results in good performance. When applied as an adhesive, the material demonstrated a lap shear strength more than double that of conventional controls.

In a demonstration, a small piece of the adhesive, measuring only 2.5 by 1.3 centimeters, was able to tow a 2.1-tonne car.