Phenolic resin, the first synthetic plastic with a history of more than a century, is synthesized by polycondensation of phenols and aldehydes. Phenolic resin has been extensively explored and once used in every aspect of life such as civil equipment, construction materials, decorations, and military industry. Although the continuous surge of novel high-performance engineering plastics since the last century has accelerated the displacement of phenolic resin, it is still well-known for its admirable properties including mechanical robustness, electrical insulation, fire resistance, and chemical stability. Fortunately, booming nanotechnologies offer new opportunities to unearth the treasures buried deep beneath this centuries-old phenolic chemistry and have ushered phenolic resin into the age of nanomaterials. Leveraging the phenolic chemistry (high activity of phenols, strong eletrophilicity of phenolic hydroxyl groups, or reducing capacity of aldehydes) at the microscopic scale allows precise design and control of the nano/microstructures and compositions. In the past several decades, phenolic resin has entered its second rejuvenation and flourishment with the hallmark of a range of emerging functional nanomaterials. The merit of easy and controllable synthesis is brought into the fullest play to create a huge amount of unprecedented exquisite microstructures. The good thermal stability and high carbon yield also render wide use as protection for other vulnerable materials or as a carbon source. Engineering phenolic resin has produced a series of novel materials spanning from zero-dimensional (0D) nanomaterials to three-dimensional (3D) macroscopic assemblies with outstanding properties far beyond the capabilities of traditional phenolic bulk products. All these properties confer applications in energy, biomedical engineering, thermal insulation, fire resistance, environment, and many other aspects.

中文翻译：

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振兴传统酚醛树脂，打造先进材料的多功能平台

酚醛树脂是第一种合成塑料，已有一百多年的历史，是由酚类和醛类经缩聚反应合成的。酚醛树脂已被广泛开发并一度应用于民用设备、建筑材料、装饰品、军工等生活的各个方面。尽管上世纪以来新型高性能工程塑料的不断涌现加速了酚醛树脂的取代，但酚醛树脂仍然以其机械坚固性、电绝缘性、阻燃性和化学稳定性等令人钦佩的性能而闻名。幸运的是，蓬勃发展的纳米技术提供了新的机会来挖掘深埋在这种具有数百年历史的酚醛化学之下的宝藏，并将酚醛树脂引入纳米材料时代。在微观尺度上利用酚化学（酚的高活性、酚羟基的强电亲电性或醛的还原能力）可以精确设计和控制纳米/微米结构和成分。在过去的几十年里，酚醛树脂以一系列新兴的功能性纳米材料为标志，进入了第二次复兴和繁荣期。充分发挥合成容易、可控的优点，创造出大量前所未有的精美微观结构。良好的热稳定性和高碳产率也使其广泛用作其他易损材料的保护或作为碳源。工程酚醛树脂已生产出一系列新型材料，从零维（0D）纳米材料到三维（3D）宏观组装体，其优异的性能远远超出了传统酚醛本体产品的能力。所有这些特性都赋予了其在能源、生物医学工程、隔热、防火、环境和许多其他方面的应用。