Increased pore accessibility could potentially improve device performance in a wide range of applications ranging from separations to energy conversion and storage devices. Block copolymer-directed assembly provides a versatile platform for synthesizing porous functional materials with high pore accessibility, high specific surface area, and periodic ordering. It further allows for high tunability of the morphology and length scales in the range of tens of nanometers. One technique that exploits block copolymer characteristics is a non-equilibrium process called SNIPS (self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation). In this process, asymmetric porous polymeric membranes can be made in which a mesoporous surface layer sits atop a macroporous support structure. While providing increased flux, these materials retain high separation resolution due to pore uniformity.<br/>Recently, the SNIPS process has been expanded to create a wider variety of functional materials. For example, the co-assembly of block copolymer and organic additive allows for the creation of graded, hierarchically porous all-organic hybrid materials. Subsequent heat treatment up to 1100°C under an inert environment produces amorphous hierarchically macro- and mesoporous carbon materials with graded porosity. Both materials characterization via such techniques as small-angle x-ray scattering as well as applications will be discussed.

Block copolymer-directed self-assembly and non-solvent-induced phase separation (SNIPS) derived porous functional materials for advanced separations

255th National Meeting (2018)

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