Synthesis of polyHIPEs through high internal phase emulsions of β-myrcene

PolyHIPEs are an important class of porous polymers with well-defined hierarchical porosity and tunable morphology. However, the insufficient mechanical properties arise due to high volume of voids bringing difficulties in applications. In this study, polyHIPEs with tailored morphological and mechanical properties were prepared by using a monoterpene for the first time. In this respect, copolymerization of β-myrcene with several comonomers within water-in-oil (w/o) high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) has been extensively investigated. Accordingly, combining β-myrcene and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) in polyHIPE structure was demonstrated as a successful approach for tailoring the morphology, as well as the mechanical strength. PolyHIPEs with cavities between 1.09 and 3.55 μm were obtained by changing the ratio of β-myrcene in the continuous phase of HIPEs. Moreover, resulting polyHIPEs have found to have improved mechanical strength. The highest compressive modulus achieved for the obtained monoliths was determined to be 38.8 MPa.