1 research outputs found
Nanoporous Thermosets with Percolating Pores from Block Polymers Chemically Fixed above the Order–Disorder Transition
A lamellar diblock
polymer combining a cross-linkable segment with
a chemically etchable segment was cross-linked above its order–disorder
temperature (<i>T</i><sub>ODT</sub>) to kinetically trap
the morphology associated with the fluctuating disordered state. After
removal of the etchable block, evaluation of the resulting porous
thermoset allows for an unprecedented experimental characterization
of the trapped disordered phase. Through a combination of small-angle
X-ray scattering, nitrogen sorption, scanning electron microscopy,
and electron tomography experiments we demonstrate that the nanoporous
structure exhibits a narrow pore size distribution and a high surface
to volume ratio and is bicontinuous over a large sample area. Together
with the processability of the polymeric starting material, the proposed
system combines attractive attributes for many advanced applications.
In particular, it was used to design new composite membranes for the
ultrafiltration of water