An overview of dynamic covalent bonds in polymer material and their applications

Dynamic covalent bonds (DCBs) have received widespread attention due to their unique reversibility and stimulus responsiveness. The introduction of DCBs often endows materials with good controllability and self-healing properties, which greatly improves the limitations of some current researches. This review summarizes the characteristics and reaction mechanisms of different types of DCBs, and provides a variety of typical dynamic covalent reactions and their reaction conditions. Finally, we summarize the latest developments in the application of DCBs, including tissue adhesives, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, sensors, 3D printing, fluorescent probes and coatings, and propose existing challenges and future development directions in this field.