PolyHIPEs (PHs) are highly porous emulsion-templated polymers that are usually synthesized using free radical polymerization within surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). Several different systems of highly porous hydrogel polyHIPEs (HG-PHs), based on ionic monomers and/or non-ionic monomers. The HG-PHs proved to be highly water absorbent, even superabsorbent, and the extraordinary high water and urine uptakes were ascribed to a hydrogel-swelling-driven void expansion mechanism which amplified, accelerated, and enhanced the sensitivity of the response. The water uptakes in the HG-PHs were tuned to be responsive to pH, salt concentration, and/or temperature, using different monomers. In addition, the high accessibility of the ionic groups produced rapid contaminant adsorption. Doubly-crosslinked HG-PHs (DC-PHs) with reversible metal-coordination crosslinking was used to generate hydrogels with multiple shape memory behaviours. Other HG-PHs exhibited an anti-polyelectrolyte effect and a dual pH response. Most recently, PHs were synthesized in o/w HIPEs using interfacial step-growth polymerization with renewable resource polysaccharides or polyphenols. Successful tissue engineering cell growth was obtained for the highly interconnected structures, while solvents or phase change materials for energy storage and release applications could be encapsulate in the truly closed-cell structures.

Emulsion-templated polymers: Superabsorbents, stimulus-response, shape memory, renewable resources, and encapsulation

256th National Meeting (2018)

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