Cong Nie

Facile approach to glycidyl methacrylate-based polyHIPE monoliths with high epoxy-group content

This paper reports a facile approach to glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-based polyHIPE monoliths with high epoxy-group content, which are fabricated using a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) template via radiation-induced polymerization at room temperature. The effects of the polymerization temperature and the pore sizes of polyHIPE monoliths on the content of epoxy groups are investigated. Results show that the polymerization temperature is the most important factor in influencing the content of epoxy groups in GMA-based polyHIPE monoliths. To prove their superiority over monoliths with low epoxy-group contents, the as-prepared polyHIPE monoliths are applied in phenol removal from cigarette smoke through a reaction between the epoxy group and phenol. The results show that the higher the content of epoxy groups in the polyHIPE monoliths, the higher the rate of phenol removal, indicating their high performance in these specific applications for the polyHIPE monoliths with high epoxy-group contents.

Tailoring the morphology and epoxy group content of glycidyl methacrylate-based polyHIPE monoliths via radiation-induced polymerization at room temperature

Glycidylmethacrylate (GMA)-based poly(high internal phase emulsion) (polyHIPE) monoliths were prepared using a HIPE template via radiation-induced polymerization at room temperature. The effects of surfactant content, cross-linking degree, water fraction, and porogen content on the surface area, average void diameter, distribution of void diameter, average interconnection diameter, average pore diameter, and epoxy group content of GMA-based polyHIPE monoliths were investigated. The morphology and epoxy group content of GMA-based polyHIPE monoliths may be tailored by tuning each of the factors above according to the requirements of specific applications. Finally, the different morphology and epoxy group content of GMA-based polyHIPE monoliths were applied in phenol removal from cigarette smoke (CS) through a reaction between the epoxy group and phenol. The results showed that GMA-based polyHIPE monoliths with the higher content of epoxy group and bigger surface area showed the higher rate of phenol removal.