In 1949, a failed plastic experiment by Harry Coover created a strange sticky compound, which eventually led to the creation of superglue

Harry Coover was a chemist who, along with his associates, was conducting research on materials science in relation to optics and transparency during the late 1940s. However, his associates were faced with one annoying obstacle; one of the compounds reacted too intensely with laboratory equipment and surfaces rather than acting as the expected transparent plastic. According to the PubMed Central review of cyanoacrylates, the compound was classified as a cyanoacrylate. The adhesive nature of this chemical substance was considered an unwanted outcome, which disrupted the original purpose of the research.

At first glance, the substance was unsuitable for the research because of its intense adhesion characteristics. However, the scientists realized that the compound's unwanted behavior could have another potential use beyond the transparent plastic they desired. This discovery turned out to be crucial since the compound had unique chemical properties. The substance underwent a quick process of polymerization upon encountering tiny traces of moisture. Instead of acting as the stable transparent plastic that the researchers were expecting, the substance quickly formed bonds with other substances.

The chemistry behind superglue depended on rapid polymerization

The success of the cyanoacrylate-based glues lies in how quickly the molecules form a bond upon their contact with moisture and ions that are naturally found on surfaces and in the atmosphere. As indicated in the PubMed Central – Cyanoacrylate chemistry review article, cyanoacrylates undergo extremely fast polymerization during contact with minute quantities of moisture, which accounts for why this adhesive forms such a quick bond compared to other glues. This was actually the feature that made the substance unsuitable for plastic research initially, as the researchers needed more control over the chemical behavior of the substance. Once the focus of the study shifted from the use of this compound as a plastic material to a potential adhesive material, however, this particular feature became incredibly important. As stated in the PubMed Central review of medical cyanoacrylates, cyanoacrylates were discovered in 1949 and first used in medicine around 1958.

This is significant because it demonstrates that it was not instantly obvious that the discovery was groundbreaking. The material developed from laboratory curiosity into an industrial commodity through the years of refining its use as an adhesive. It thus took time to move from failed experiments to an effective commercial product because it became apparent that what was previously thought to be a flawed behavior of the substance addressed another problem entirely.

Superglue became valuable far beyond the laboratory where it was discovered

When commercialized, cyanoacrylate adhesives became highly successful due to their unique quality of forming a bond instantly in almost all types of conditions where fast and robust bonding was needed. Cyanoacrylate adhesives eventually came to be utilized in various situations such as home repairs, manufacturing industries, and medical wound closures. According to the review of cyanoacrylate medical uses published in PubMed Central, cyanoacrylates have found application in clinical and medical areas because they also proved to have beneficial effects in specialized medical fields due to their rapid bonding ability.

The superglue case study is remarkable due to the drastic change in the purpose of the discovered material. It should be noted that scientists were trying to create an innovative substance with specific properties and not trying to discover an adhesive material. In other words, the discovery of cyanoacrylates can be viewed as part of a wider scientific trend where some materials gain significance not because they fulfill their designated purpose successfully but because they are discovered to possess new qualities in unexpected circumstances.