Polybenzoxazine - an enticing precursor for engineering heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials with applications beyond energy, environment and catalysis

The inherent nitrogen functionality present in polybenzoxazines, along with its molecular design flexibility, makes this class of high-performance thermosets an enticing precursor for the fabrication of heteroatom-doped carbon structures. The carbonization of polybenzoxazine thermosets to structure advanced and engineered carbon materials has pushed the research boundaries of polybenzoxazine, as well as has provided a new vector of exciting applications. The present review demonstrates the role of polybenzoxazines as a potential source of heteroatom-doped carbon nanomaterials, where an array of interesting morphologies with tailor-made properties can be achieved by judicious choice of precursors and via selecting appropriate synthetic strategy. In addition, the synthetic approaches to attain specific dimensionality (0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D) and pore architecture, along with details of precursor choice and carbonization conditions to achieve high char yield as well as appreciable heteroatom content have been summarized. Further, the advancements of carbon frameworks derived from polybenzoxazine, in the field of carbon dioxide sequestration, energy storage, catalysis, and adsorption has been presented in terms of structure-performance relationship. Finally, the article provides opportunities and future perspective to further extend the scope of practical applications of carbon framework derived from polybenzoxazines. • Polybenzoxazine as a potential source of heteroatom-doped carbon material. • Versatile dimensionalities via tailored synthetic approaches. • Effect of precursor choice and carbonization conditions on textural properties and surface chemistry. • Discussion on structure-property-performance relationships of the heteroatom-doped carbon framework. • Advancements in the fields of carbon dioxide sequestration, catalysis, adsorption and energy storage.