Engineering bicontinuous polymeric monoliths through high internal phase emulsion templating

Abstract

Preparation of two-component materials having morphologies with bicontinuous minor and major components is challenging. An innovative method has been developed to synthesize bicontinuous polymeric monoliths based on high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating. This work demonstrated a protocol of dual-hydrophobic bicontinuous material of glassy polystyrene (PS) and elastic poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA). The PS scaffold was prepared through polymerizing styrene (St) as the external phase of HIPE with an aqueous free radical initiator, in the presence of divinylbenzene (DVB) as a crosslinker. The resulting PS scaffolds were then employed as templates to absorb butyl acrylate (BA) mixed with ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate (EGDMA). Results suggested that the polymeric monoliths possessed a bicontinuous structure and good compatibility in the bulk state. This work provides a new approach for the synthesis of bicontinuous two-component materials.