Bonding mechanism of cyanoacrylate on SiO2 and Au: Spectroscopic studies of the interface

Cyanoacrylates form a highly reactive class of adhesives that develop significant adhesive strength to surfaces within a few seconds. Despite their commercial use, the exact bonding mechanism is virtually unknown. In the present work, we spin coat nm-thin films of ethyl cyanoacrylate on the two model substrates gold and silicon dioxide. The objective of the studies is to identify chemical interactions at the interface between adhesive and metal (oxide) which are possible reasons for film adhesion on the macroscopic scale. For this purpose, thin films of ethyl cyanoacrylate are investigated by X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy.