Recent Research Developments

Control of pore hydrophilicity in ordered nanoporous polystyrene

In recent work carried out by Huiming Mao, Pedro L. Arrechea, Travis S. Bailey, and Bret J. S. Johnson, in Marc A. Hillmyer's laboratories, new water-compatible nanoporous plastics were prepared using a degradable block copolymer strategy. These materials have potential uses as nanoscopic templates, filtration media, and high surface area catalyst supports. In this project ordered nanoporous plastics with hydrophilic pore surfaces were prepared by the degradative removal of polylactide from a self-organized, multi-component composite containing two block copolymers: polystyrene-polylactide and polystyrene-polyethylene oxide (see Figure). The solid-state characterization of blends containing up to 12 wt% polyethylene oxide was consistent with nanoscopic cylinders of mixed polyethylene oxide and polylactide hexagonally packed in a polystyrene matrix. Orientation of these materials through simple channel die processing resulted in good cylinder alignment. Subsequent methanolysis/hydrolysis of the polylactide component gave nanoporous polystyrene with polyethylene oxide coated pores. The resulting nanoporous materials were able to imbibe water, in contrast to nanoporous polystyrene with no polyethylene oxide component.

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