Research progress of click chemistry in polymers for solid propellants

In recent years, click chemistry has shown significant potential in the design and performance optimization of polymers for solid propellants, owing to its high efficiency, modularity, and superior selectivity. In the field of solid propellants, click chemistry provides innovative strategies for the development of high-performance binders, reactive plasticizers, new cross-linking curing modes, and controllably functionalized polymers, which play a significant role in enhancing the energy level of solid propellants, optimizing the production process, and enhancing mechanical properties. This paper focuses on three click chemistry reactions—the azide-alkyne cycloaddition, the thiol-ene reaction, and the nitrile oxide-alkyne cycloaddition—and their applications in solid propellant systems based on azide polymers, hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene, polyethers, and other binders. Despite promising prospects, practical implementation remains challenged by critical issues such as scalability, metal catalyst residues, or energetic group compatibility. Future research should aim to address these bottlenecks to enable a transition from laboratory-scale investigations to large-scale engineered applications, ultimately establishing click chemistry as a complementary technology to conventional polymer binder systems. Such advancement will provide crucial pathways for innovation in solid propellant technology. • A review of click chemistry was carried out focusing on its research progress in polymers for solid propellants. • The click chemistry covered in this review consists of three main types, azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions, nitrile oxygen-alkyne cycloaddition reactions, and mercapto-alkyne click reactions. • Elucidating the structure–property relationships among group characteristics, click chemistry types, and application performance for distinct solid propellant systems (azido-, HTPB-based, and polyether-type binders).