<b>Abstract</b><br/>Porous materials with well-tuned structures are of great importance in various applications. There are a number of methods to produce materials with ordered porous structure in macro-scale and meso-scale ranges, but few works have been reported in the sub-micron range. In the present work, we investigate the synthesis of nanoporous hydrogels by emulsion templating approach and controlling the pore structure through the evaporation process. First, oil-in-water nanoemulsions are prepared with low dispersed phase volume fraction by using ultrasonication process. Then, the nanoemulsions are concentrated to highr droplet phase volume fraction by evaporation of continuous phase with a controlled rate to approach the maximum achievable ordered pore structure. Photo-polymerization of nanoemulsions and removing the internal phase produce nanoporous hydrogels. Rheological properties of nanoemulsions exhibited higher shear modulus of the samples with higher degree of ordering. Furthermore, swelling kinetics and crosslink density measurement of resulting nanoporous hydrogels confirmed the higher modulus of those samples due to higher crosslink density.

Structure-dependent properties of nanoporous hydrogels: Rheology and swelling

2019 Fall National Meeting

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