Polybenzoxazines: Thermal Responsiveness of Hydrogen Bonds and Application as Latent Curing Agents for Thermosetting Resins

This work aims at exploring the application of polybenzoxazines as thermal latent curing agents for epoxy resins. Thorough studies have shown that hydrogen bonds of polybenzoxazines block the reactivity of phenolic hydroxyl at ambient temperatures and break at elevated temperatures to release the free phenolic hydroxyl. On the basis of these findings, polybenzoxazines are used as thermal latent curing agents. Mixtures of polybenzoxazines and epoxy resins exhibit a long shelf life at room temperature, and the corresponding copolymers possess enhanced properties. This novel insight into using polybenzoxazines as thermal latent curing agents for epoxy resins is anticipated to help researchers explore novel latent curing agents and apply polybenzoxazines more widely.