Hierarchically Porous Materials from Block Copolymers

In this Perspective, we discuss two recent methods for the generation of hierarchical porous polymer structures for applications in areas including separations, catalysis, and bioengineering. In the first method termed self-assembly and non-solvent-induced phase separation, or SNIPS, asymmetric membranes are generated with block copolymer directed mesoporous surface layers and graded meso- to macroporous substructures. In the second method termed spinodal-decomposition induced macro- and meso-phase separation plus extraction by rinsing, or SIM2PLE, hierarchical pores are generated by a combination of spinodal decomposition and microphase separation induced via solvent evaporation in a mixture of a block copolymer and a small molar mass additive. In addition to providing details on structural characteristics of the resulting materials, possible future directions of research and applications are discussed.

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