Exploring Hierarchically Porous Functional PolyHIPEs for Polymeric Support Designs: Synergistic Effects of VBC Content and Crosslinking on Surface Properties

Abstract

In this study, high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) with ranging vinyl benzyl chloride (VBC) contents (50-80 v/v%) were prepared to synthesize polyHIPEs with 90% nominal porosity having different ratios of -Cl content. The resulting polyHIPEs were then hypercrosslinked for a duration of either 15 or 30 min through Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction. The chemical and morphological properties of the materials have been characterized by FTIR analysis, SEM image analysis, EDS surface mapping and elemental analysis, Mohr's precipitation titration for -Cl (wt%) content determination, surface area and porosity analysis by using N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, TGA analysis, and WCA measurements. It has been shown that the optimal VBC and DVB monomer phase ratios (v/v) which yield the highest BET surface area (SBET) were found to be 7/10 and 0.6/10, respectively. Hierarchically porous functional polyHIPEs possessing tunable surface area (SBET = 5.30-851.33 m2 g-1) with uniform micro-meso pore (1.31-9.91 nm) distribution and -Cl content (2.13-17.81 w/w%) exhibited high temperature stability and oleophilicity.