Chapter 10: CO₂-switchable Gels, Microgels, and Adhesives

Gels, microgels, and adhesives are all commercially important polymeric materials that share a common design challenge. They are constructed to fulfil a specific function, such as absorbing certain compounds or providing reliable adhesion between two surfaces, but once they have served that function, it would be desirable in many applications to “switch off” or reverse their intended function. Traditional gels, microgels, and adhesives cannot easily be designed to behave in this manner, but the advent of switchable materials offers the promise of being able to recover, reuse, and recycle the original materials. This chapter discusses advances in CO₂-switchable gels, microgels, and adhesives.