Issue 11, 2018

Robust open cellular porous polymer monoliths made from cured colloidal gels of latex particles

Abstract

The coagulation of oppositely charged latexes, prepared from the soap-free emulsion polymerisation of styrene using water as the reaction medium, resulted in the obtainment of colloidal gels that were porous in nature and held together by electrostatic interactions. Chemical crosslinking, involving the introduction of a water-soluble crosslinker, resulted in the obtainment of stronger chemical bonds between particles affording a rigid porous material known as a monolith. It was found that, in a simpler approach, these materials could be prepared using a single latex where the addition of ammonium persulfate both resulted in the formation of the colloidal gel and initiated the crosslinking process. The pore size of the resulting monoliths was predictable as this was observed to directly correlate to the particle diameter, with larger pores achieved using particles of increased size. All gels obtained in this work were highly mouldable and retained their shape, which allowed for a range of formats to be easily prepared without the requirement of a mould.

Graphical abstract: Robust open cellular porous polymer monoliths made from cured colloidal gels of latex particles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Apr 2018
Accepted
04 Mai 2018
First published
04 Mai 2018
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Green Chem., 2018,20, 2499-2511

Robust open cellular porous polymer monoliths made from cured colloidal gels of latex particles

C. T. Desire, A. Lotierzo, R. D. Arrua, E. F. Hilder and S. A. F. Bon, Green Chem., 2018, 20, 2499 DOI: 10.1039/C8GC01055B

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