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Review
. 2025 Mar;9(3):144-158.
doi: 10.1038/s41570-025-00686-7. Epub 2025 Jan 31.

Taking dynamic covalent chemistry out of the lab and into reprocessable industrial thermosets

Stephan Maes  1 , Nezha Badi  1 , Johan M Winne  2 , Filip E Du Prez  3
Affiliations
Review

Taking dynamic covalent chemistry out of the lab and into reprocessable industrial thermosets

Stephan Maes et al. Nat Rev Chem. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) allows the development of thermally (re)processable and recyclable polymer networks, which is a highly attractive feature for new generations of thermoset materials. However, despite a surge in academic interest wherein soon almost any imaginable DCC platform may have been applied in a thermoset formulation, dynamic or reversible covalent polymer networks have so far found only few industrial applications. This Review provides a perspective on the main strategies for the application of DCC in the design and development of bulk thermoset materials, and it presents some of the key hurdles for their industrial implementation. The polymer design strategies and associated chemistries are viewed from the perspective of how 'close to market' their development pathway is, thus providing a roadmap to achieve high-volume breakthrough applications.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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