High-performance and sustainable carbon fiber-reinforced polymers enabled by β-amino sulfone-based covalent adaptable networks

Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional polymer matrices to address the limited service life of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs); however, their mechanical and thermal performance is typically inferior. In this study, we synthesized a CAN matrix by introducing divinyl sulfone (DVS) into an epoxy network, achieving an unusual combination of high performance and malleability. The rigid network of the epoxy resin and the strong polarity of DVS yielded a β -amino sulfone-based CAN-based CFRP (BAS-CP) with an exceptionally high glass transition temperature (170.9 °C) and a tensile strength (876.9 MPa). In addition, the dynamic bond exchange enables crack self-healing, potential fabrication of enduring prepregs, and reshaping of fully cured CFRPs. β -Amino sulfone-based CAN (BAS) can be readily degraded using a mild oxidizing agent such as H 2 O 2 , enabling efficient recovery of carbon fibers from BAS-CP. The combination of these properties, low-cost monomers, and the simplicity of BAS synthesis suggest a new pathway for the development of cost-efficient, sustainable, and high-performance CFRPs.