Counting for approximately 3.13 million tons of products, epoxy resins (EPs) have been extensively employed as matrix resins of composites and applied in aerospace, aviation, wind, nuclear power, high-speed rail, as well as many other manufacturing industries. However, certain inherent limitations severely impede further applications of these advanced materials, such as poor fatigue resistance, low impact resistance, hard to recycle, and a “seesaw” between toughness and strength. Here, we especially focused on the recent progress in toughening methods and associated mechanisms for these epoxy resins and analytic techniques for characterizing toughness, which highlighted the applicable approaches to generate homogeneous structures. As a typical homogeneous toughness material, hyperbranched polymers, especially hyperbranched epoxy resins (HERs), are ideal candidates to solve the knotty problem of EPs because HERs can homogeneously reinforce and toughen diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA), promoting the degradation of DGEBA, as well exhibiting strong interfacial interactions among components, due to their excellent compatibility, wettability and low viscosity. Last but not least, we advance the objectives and challenges of epoxy resins in the future. Overall, this review presents an up-to-date overview of toughening methods and mechanisms for EPs, and guidance of emerging research on the sustainable development of EPs in versatile high-tech fields.

环氧树脂（EPs）的产品产量约为 313 万吨，已被广泛用作复合材料的基体树脂，并应用于航空航天、风能、核电、高铁以及许多其他制造行业。然而，某些固有的局限性严重阻碍了这些先进材料的进一步应用，例如抗疲劳性差、抗冲击性低、难以回收以及韧性和强度之间的“跷跷板”。在这里，我们特别关注了这些环氧树脂的增韧方法和相关机制以及表征韧性的分析技术的最新进展，重点介绍了生成均匀结构的适用方法。作为典型的均质韧性材料，超支化聚合物，尤其是超支化环氧树脂（HERs），HERs 可以均匀地增强和增韧双酚 A 的二缩水甘油醚 (DGEBA)，促进 DGEBA 的降解，并且由于其优异的相容性、润湿性和低粘度。最后但同样重要的是，我们推进了环氧树脂在未来的目标和挑战。总体而言，本综述提供了对 EP 增韧方法和机制的最新概述，以及对 EP 在多功能高科技领域可持续发展的新兴研究的指导。由于其优异的相容性、润湿性和低粘度，还表现出组分之间强烈的界面相互作用。最后但同样重要的是，我们推进了环氧树脂在未来的目标和挑战。总体而言，本综述提供了对 EP 增韧方法和机制的最新概述，以及对 EP 在多功能高科技领域可持续发展的新兴研究的指导。由于其优异的相容性、润湿性和低粘度，还表现出组分之间强烈的界面相互作用。最后但同样重要的是，我们推进了环氧树脂在未来的目标和挑战。总体而言，本综述提供了对 EP 增韧方法和机制的最新概述，以及对 EP 在多功能高科技领域可持续发展的新兴研究的指导。