A novel vinylpyridine-based phthalonitrile monomer, namely 2,6-bis[4-(3,4-dicyanophenoxy)styryl]pyridine (BCSP), was synthesized from 2,6-bis(4-hydroxystyryl)pyridine (BHSP) via a nucleophilic displacement of a cyano-substituent with 4-nitrophthalonitrile (NPN). The phthalonitrile resin was cured with 4-(aminophenoxy)phthalonitrile (APPH), and its curing behaviour was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), exhibiting a low melting point of 92 °C and an outstanding processing window of about 146 °C. The chemical structures of the BCSP monomer and polymers were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Different post curing temperatures and times resulted in polymers with different crosslinking levels and subsequently influenced the performance of the resins. The prepared BCSP polymer showed a high storage modulus (2.9 GPa–1.8 GPa) between 30 and 400 °C, a high glass transition temperature (T_g > 400 °C), and excellent thermal and thermo-oxidative stabilities with weight retention of 95% at 524.2 °C along with low water uptake.

Multilayer metal composites have great application prospects in automobiles, ships, aircraft and other manufacturing industries, which reveal their superior strength, toughness, ductility, fatigue lifetime, superplasticity and formability. This paper presents the various mechanical properties, deformation characteristics and strengthening–toughening mechanisms of laminated metal matrix composites during the loading and deformation process, and that super-high mechanical properties can be obtained by adjusting the fabrication process and structure parameters. In the macroscale, the interface bonding status and layer thickness can effectively affect the fracture, impact toughness and tensile fracture elongation of laminated metal matrix composites, and the ductility and toughness cannot be fitting to the rule of mixture (ROM). However, the elastic properties, yield strength and ultimate strength basically follow the rule of mixture. In the microscale, the mechanical properties, deformation characteristics, fracture behavior and toughening mechanisms of laminated composites reveal the obvious size effect.