Macroporous materials from water-in-oil high internal phase emulsion stabilized solely by water-dispersible copolymer particles

Water-in-oil (W/O) high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) were prepared by utilizing water-dispersible copolymer particle stabilizer, whose concentration in the internal phase could reach as high as 12.0 wt% (equivalent to 52 wt% relative to the continuous phase). Accordingly, the macroporous materials with high content of skeleton substance would be obtained by the dissolving of these copolymer particles into the continuous phase and without any chemical reaction. And the morphology, the density and the mechanical property of the macroporous materials could be easily tailored through varying the standing time after emulsification, particle concentration in the aqueous phase and the internal phase volume ratio. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.