Abstract The synthese or modification of phenolic resin with high-performance using biomaterial has become one of the research hotspots. Firstly, some kinds of phenolic resin prepared from renewable raw materials were summarized. Then the structure of biomass extracts, such as vegetable oil, lignin, cellulose and tannin, and the methods of chemical modification of phenolic resin by these biomass extracts were introduced briefly and the latest development of chemical modification of phenolic resin was reviewed. Meanwhile, the research progress of polyphonel resin prepared by enzymatic synthesis was analyzed. As a new polymerization method, enzymatic synthesis of polyphonel resin has developed an environmentally benign and green road for traditional phenolic resin.
