Recent progress in functional applications of polymer foams

Abstract

Porous structures are ubiquitous in nature, and their formation is a result of natural selection. Their functional attributes of lightweight and high strength provide the basis for the continuation of plant and animal life. Inspired by this, researchers have also endowed materials with superior properties and more functional attributes through porosification. Among the common porous materials, polymer foam materials, as a typical porous class of three-dimensional materials with the characteristics of lightweight, flexibility, a controllable structure, and a wide range of applications, have made amazing progress in recent years in the fields of structural lightweight, energy conversion, and photothermal applications. We systematically summarize the pore characteristics and different preparation methods of polymer foams and elaborate on their diversified functionalized applications in the fields of energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, sensors, adsorption capture, and thermal management. The focus is on revealing their morphological structure, application mechanism, and physicochemical properties as functionalized devices. This review summarizes the potential drawbacks and possible solutions for polymer foams in functionalized applications, as well as reflections on their future innovative directions for the development of the field.