Tokyo researchers create water-hardening polymer for underwater bonding

New material forms rigid solids underwater

Assistant professor Akira Takahashi and his team created poly(silatranylmethyl methacrylate), known as PSMMA. This powder turns into a soft putty upon contact with water before becoming a rigid solid. The process involves hydrolysis followed by condensation to form a three-dimensional network. Almost 95 percent of the silatrane groups reacted within 24 hours of curing according to the study.

Chemical reaction changes material properties

Water triggers a chemical transformation that makes the material less hydrophilic over time. Triethanolamine released during the reaction helps catalyze further steps and accelerates the hardening process. The cured polymer retains specific shapes like rods, cubes, and spirals even after curing underwater. Although the material shows substantial hardness, the team noted it remains somewhat brittle in its current form.

Study published in Angewandte Chemie

Professor Hideyuki Otsuka and graduate student Rei Tokumitsu contributed to this research effort alongside Takahashi. The findings were published online in Angewandte Chemie International Edition on the tenth of September 2026. This work offers a strategy for designing organic materials that function reliably in wet environments. The unique silatrane groups allow the material to interact readily with water before hardening.