Recent Advances and Prospects in High-Performance Bio-Based Phthalonitrile Resins

Phthalontirile resins are renowned as the most heat-resistant polymeric materials and exhibit exceptional performance under harsh conditions. Consequently, phthalonitrile thermosets offer the potential to substitute metals in hot parts, thereby broadening the operational limits of plastic materials in high-tech applications. Given their unique combination of properties, phthalonitriles have garnered significant demand across sectors such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, and renewable energy. With industrial production and application of phthalonitriles recently initiated in several countries, questions regarding the sustainability of these materials have naturally arisen. Thermosetting materials, owing to their highly cross-linked architecture, cannot be recycled, necessitating the adoption of synthetic methods utilizing bio-feedstock raw materials and green protocols to mitigate their environmental impact. The present prospective review summarizes and analyzes the current state-of-the-art in bio-based phthalonitrile resins and discusses potential directions for research and development of new application areas, with a focus on the challenge of maintaining high-performance levels during the transition to bio-based raw materials. Partially bio-based phthalonitrile resins, originally developed as heat-resistant materials like their fossil-based counterparts, can be explored for broader applications due to their attractive performance characteristics. While challenges remain, particularly in processability and thermal performance, recent advancements in molecular design and green synthesis suggest a promising development. Overcoming these challenges will require multidisciplinary collaboration and thorough research into structure-property relationships. image