Due to their outstanding properties such as high optical transparency, high electrical resistance, high thermal insulation, good thermo-mechanical properties, and dimensional stability, epoxy networks play a key role in the world of thermosetting polymers. In fact, they are widely used in Industry as adhesives, paints and coatings, electrical and electronics applications as well as composite matrices for automotive and aerospace applications. Epoxy networks are issued from epoxy prepolymers composed of two to four oxirane rings able to undergo a polyaddition polymerizations with hardeners (amines, phenols, isocyanates, or acids) or a chain homopolymerization reactions in the presence of initiators such as tertiary amines, imidazoles, or ammonium salts. However, the innovations in this area have reached certain technological limits. Very recently, ionic liquids have shown their potential to be used as new initiators or functional building blocks of epoxy prepolymers and as a novel generation of epoxidized ionic liquid monomers. Thus, a new and innovative pathway has emerged producing a new generation of epoxy thermosets issue from ionic liquids by the concept of ‘function through structural design’ leading to unprecedented improvements in their physical properties. In fact, epoxy networks can be tuned with glass transition temperatures included from -40 to 170°C depending of the targeted applications. Thus, the polymer/ionic liquid synergy leads to the design and development of new dedicated (multi)functional thermosetting materials with improved properties such as ionic conductivity, chemical and thermal stability, fire retardancy, water barrier properties and mechanical performances.

The aim of this review is to point out the potential of this novel class of ionic thermoset materials in the field of epoxy thermosets.

由于其出色的性能，如高光学透明度、高电阻、高隔热性、良好的热机械性能和尺寸稳定性，环氧树脂网络在热固性聚合物领域发挥着关键作用。事实上，它们在工业中被广泛用作粘合剂、油漆和涂料、电气和电子应用以及汽车和航空航天应用的复合基体。环氧树脂网络由由 2 到 4 个环氧乙烷环组成的环氧预聚物制成，能够与硬化剂（胺、酚、异氰酸酯或酸）进行加聚聚合或在引发剂（如叔胺、咪唑或铵盐。然而，这方面的创新已经达到了一定的技术极限。最近，离子液体已显示出其潜力，可用作环氧预聚物的新引发剂或功能构件，以及用作新一代环氧化离子液体单体。因此，出现了一条新的创新途径，通过离子液体的概念生产新一代环氧树脂热固性材料。“通过结构设计发挥作用”导致其物理性能得到前所未有的改进。事实上，环氧树脂网络可以根据目标应用在 -40 至 170°C 的玻璃化转变温度范围内进行调整。因此，聚合物/离子液体的协同作用导致新的专用（多功能）热固性材料的设计和开发具有改进的性能，例如离子电导率、化学和热稳定性、阻燃性、防水性能和机械性能。

本综述的目的是指出这类新型离子热固性材料在环氧树脂热固性材料领域的潜力。