Recent Progress in α-Lipoic Acid (Thioctic Acid)-Enabled Adhesives: Dynamic Disulfide Networks for Wet Adhesion, Self-Healing, and Circular Reuse.

α-Lipoic acid (LA), a natural cyclic disulfide, has emerged as a versatile building block for next-generation adhesives because of its ring-opening polymerization and dynamic disulfide exchange. This review summarizes recent advances in LA-based adhesives, focusing on strategies for stabilizing poly(LA) networks through radical quenching, supramolecular assembly, metal-ligand coordination, and deep eutectic architectures. We discuss the interfacial mechanisms underlying robust wet and underwater adhesion, where dense carboxyl groups enable multivalent hydrogen-bonding and ionic interactions. LA-based adhesives also integrate self-healing, recyclability, and intrinsic bioactivity, including antioxidant and antimicrobial functions. These features support applications in hemostasis, wound repair, wearable iontronics, and sustainable industrial bonding. Finally, key challenges, including the trade-off between network stability and dynamicity and the need for scalable manufacturing, are highlighted to guide the future development of circular, smart, and bioactive adhesive materials.