Porous materials enable reduced environmental impact by restricting the consumption of raw materials. Polyimides provide outstanding thermo-mechanical properties but are traditionally difficult to process due to their characterizable high glass transition temperatures and insolubility even in some of the most aggressive solvents. However, the addition of backbone-bound sulfonates and subsequent neutralization with dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) yields a photoactive, water-soluble poly(amic acid) (PAA). Photorheology experiments elucidated fast (&lt;3s) crossover times and plateau storage moduli over 106 Pa providing a readily handleable material for post-processing. 3D printed using a custom-built UV-assisted direct ink-write (UV-DIW) system offered high resolution printed parts. Formation of microcellular structure was achieved within the nascent hydrogels using a freeze-cast method. Fully aromatic polyimides exhibit efficient and controllable carbonization behavior resulting from the high planarity and aromaticity of their repeating units. Thermal post-processing steps at 300 oC and 1600 oC induced imidization and pyrolysis, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the porous polyimide and carbon structures confirmed the retention of pore structure during high-temperature post-processing.

Photoactive water-soluble polyimide precursors: A platform for 3D-printing of carbonaceous structures

ACS Spring 2022

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