Covalent Adaptable Networks Based on Aromatic Disulfides

Abstract Aromatic disulfide bonds have emerged as a powerful dynamic motif for the design of covalent adaptable polymer networks, enabling stress relaxation, self-healing, reshaping, and reprocessing while retaining the advantages of permanently crosslinked materials. Their distinctive exchange kinetics, which can operate under mild or catalyst-free conditions, have positioned aromatic disulfides among one of the most advanced chemistries in dynamic polymer networks. This review critically examines aromatic disulfide-based dynamic networks, focusing on exchange mechanisms, practical strategies for incorporating disulfide units into conventional polymer architectures, and approaches to tune dynamic behavior through molecular design and catalysis with the aim of final practical applications. The resulting materials are discussed across epoxy, polyurethane, and related systems, highlighting how dynamic functionality is introduced within constraints imposed by network rigidity and thermal properties. Current and emerging applications are reviewed, ranging from repairable structural composites and self-healing elastomers to coatings, metamaterials, and functional polymer systems, outlining both the maturity of aromatic disulfide chemistry and the challenges that remain in achieving broader structural diversity and application-specific control.