Reversible covalent polymers are able to change their bond arrangement and structure via reversible reaction triggered by external stimuli including heating, light and pH, while retaining the stability of irreversible covalent polymers in the absence of the stimuli. In recent years, more and more research has been devoted to utilization of reversible covalent bonds in synthesizing new materials, which not only overcomes disadvantages of permanent covalent polymers, but also brings in new functionalities. More importantly, a series of novel techniques dedicated to polymerized products with features such as properties regulation, self-healing, reprocessing, solid state recycling, and controllable degradation are developed, heralding the opportunity of upgrading of traditional polymer engineering. Although the exploration of this emerging topic is still in its infancy, the advances so far are encouraging and clearly directed to large scale applications. This review systematically outlines this promising trend, following a bottom-up strategy, taking into account both theoretical and experimental achievements. It mainly consists of four parts, involving design and preparation: (i) the basis of reversible covalent chemistry, (ii) rheology of reversible covalent polymers, (iii) methods of construction of reversible covalent polymers, and (iv) smart, adaptive properties offered by reversible covalent chemistry. The key elements for realizing reorganization of polymers containing reversible covalent bonds are covered. The advantages and weaknesses of representative reaction systems are analyzed, while the challenges and opportunities to engineering application of the equilibrium control based on reversible covalent chemistry for producing end-use polymers are summarized. In this way, the readers may grasp both the overall situation as well as insight into future work.

可逆共价聚合物能够通过由外部刺激（包括加热，光照和pH）触发的可逆反应来改变其键排列和结构，同时在不存在刺激的情况下保持不可逆共价聚合物的稳定性。近年来，越来越多的研究致力于可逆共价键在合成新材料中的应用，这不仅克服了永久性共价聚合物的缺点，而且带来了新的功能。更重要的是，开发了一系列专门用于聚合产品的新颖技术，这些技术具有诸如性能调节，自我修复，后处理，固态回收和可控降解的功能，从而预示了传统聚合物工程技术升级的机会。尽管对该新兴主题的探索仍处于起步阶段，但迄今为止的进展令人鼓舞，并且显然针对大规模应用。本文回顾了自下而上的策略，系统地概述了这一有希望的趋势，同时兼顾了理论和实验成果。它主要由四个部分组成，涉及设计和制备：（i）可逆共价化学的基础，（ii）可逆共价聚合物的流变学，（iii）可逆共价聚合物的构造方法，以及（iv）智能，适应性由可逆共价化学提供。涵盖了实现包含可逆共价键的聚合物重组的关键要素。分析了代表性反应体系的优缺点，同时总结了基于可逆共价化学的平衡控制在生产最终用途聚合物方面的工程应用所面临的挑战和机遇。这样，读者既可以掌握总体情况，又可以了解未来的工作。