Research progress on carborane-modified polyimide resins and composites

Polyimides (PIs), as a class of high-performance polymers containing imide rings in the main chain, exhibit outstanding thermal resistance, mechanical strength, and chemical stability, positioning them as critical materials for advanced applications across multiple fields. Carboranes, characterized by their icosahedral cage structure, offer exceptional thermal stability, chemical inertness, and high boron content, providing a significant pathway for enhancing the performance of polyimides. This article reviews the research progress on carborane-modified polyimide resins and composites from both domestic and international sources. It emphasizes the design and synthesis of key monomers, reactive blending modification using carboranes as functional components, and chemical copolymerization modification incorporating carboranes as structural units, and analyzes the related applications of carborane-modified polyimide resins and composites. Finally, future research priorities for carborane-modified polyimide resins are discussed.