A porous polyimide resin film having a high aperture ratio, and a method for producing a porous polyimide film. The method includes removing fine particles from a polyimide resin-fine particle composite film to obtain a porous polyimide resin film by either removing at least a part of a polyimide resin portion of the polyimide resin-fine particle composite film prior to removing the fine particles, or by removing at least a part of the porous polyimide resin film subsequent to removing the fine particles.

Process for the production of a polymer foam with use of hydrogel pearls as porosity generating template, comprising the steps of:providing a matrix of polymer or prepolymer in viscous state including, as a dispersed phase, hydrogel pearls, where said pearls are dispersed in said matrix so as to generate intercommunicating cells,causing the solidification of the matrix of polymer or prepolymer to obtain said polymer foam including said hydrogel pearls, characterised in that it comprises the operation of subjecting the thus obtained foam to conditions which cause the dehydration of said hydrogel pearls so as to obtain a reduction of volume of said pearls andremoving the dehydrated pearls by immersion in water of the polymer foam or by exposure of the foam to a flow of pressurized gas or water.

Process for the production of a polymer foam with use of hydrogel pearls as porosity generating template, comprising the steps of:providing a matrix of polymer or prepolymer in viscous state including, as a dispersed phase, hydrogel pearls, where said pearls are dispersed in said matrix so as to generate intercommunicating cells,causing the solidification of the matrix of polymer or prepolymer to obtain said polymer foam including said hydrogel pearls, characterised in that it comprises the operation of subjecting the thus obtained foam to conditions which cause the dehydration of said hydrogel pearls so as to obtain a reduction of volume of said pearls andremoving the dehydrated pearls by immersion in water of the polymer foam or by exposure of the foam to a flow of pressurized gas or water.

This patent is provided a method for producing a porous polymer film using vanadium oxide nanowires, and a porous polymer film obtained from the method. The method allows control of a uniform pore size and density through a simple process including the steps of: adding an ion exchanger to deionized water to perform acidification and adding a vanadate compound thereto to grow vanadium oxide nanowires by a sol-gel process; mixing the resultant solution of grown nanowires with a polymer solution to provide a mixed solution of nanowires; pouring the mixed solution of nanowires to a mold, followed by drying and curing, to form a film; and etching the resultant film with an etching solution to remove the vanadium oxide nanowires.

This patent is provided a method for producing a porous polymer film using vanadium oxide nanowires, and a porous polymer film obtained from the method. The method allows control of a uniform pore size and density through a simple process including the steps of: adding an ion exchanger to deionized water to perform acidification and adding a vanadate compound thereto to grow vanadium oxide nanowires by a sol-gel process; mixing the resultant solution of grown nanowires with a polymer solution to provide a mixed solution of nanowires; pouring the mixed solution of nanowires to a mold, followed by drying and curing, to form a film; and etching the resultant film with an etching solution to remove the vanadium oxide nanowires.

Porous articles are provided that include a fibrous porous matrix and porous polymeric particles. The porous polymeric particles are distributed throughout the fibrous porous polymeric matrix. The porous article can be used to prepare a separation device or a system that includes the separation device. The porous articles can be used for the separation of a target material such as a microorganism (i.e., cellular analyte) from a sample.

Porous articles are provided that include a fibrous porous matrix and porous polymeric particles. The porous polymeric particles are distributed throughout the fibrous porous polymeric matrix. The porous article can be used to prepare a separation device or a system that includes the separation device. The porous articles can be used for the separation of a target material such as a microorganism (i.e., cellular analyte) from a sample.

A three-dimensionally ordered macroporous hydrogel for immobilizing a selected bioresponsive molecule and method of making are disclosed. The three-dimensionally ordered macroporous hydrogel comprises a crosslinked polymer that has a system of interconnected pores. The interconnected pores have a uniform pore size in the range of 50 to 5000 nm, and a plurality of first pore functional groups. The plurality of first pore functional groups is selected to immobilize a selected bioresponsive molecule. Examples of bioresponsive molecules include an enzyme; a molecule for: a protein scaffold, solid phase synthesis, nucleic acid synthesis, polypeptide synthesis, analyte detection, adsorption of analytes and measuring analyte concentrations, organic synthesis, and degradation of biologically active agents in wastewater. A method includes forming a colloidal crystal template, polymerizing a hydrogel within the pores of the colloidal crystal template, and selectively removing the colloidal crystal template. The hydrogel can be polymerized using CRP, ATRP and FRP polymerization processes.

A three-dimensionally ordered macroporous hydrogel for immobilizing a selected bioresponsive molecule and method of making are disclosed. The three-dimensionally ordered macroporous hydrogel comprises a crosslinked polymer that has a system of interconnected pores. The interconnected pores have a uniform pore size in the range of 50 to 5000 nm, and a plurality of first pore functional groups. The plurality of first pore functional groups is selected to immobilize a selected bioresponsive molecule. Examples of bioresponsive molecules include an enzyme; a molecule for: a protein scaffold, solid phase synthesis, nucleic acid synthesis, polypeptide synthesis, analyte detection, adsorption of analytes and measuring analyte concentrations, organic synthesis, and degradation of biologically active agents in wastewater. A method includes forming a colloidal crystal template, polymerizing a hydrogel within the pores of the colloidal crystal template, and selectively removing the colloidal crystal template. The hydrogel can be polymerized using CRP, ATRP and FRP polymerization processes.

Described herein are sacrificial templates generated from water soluble thermoplastic-divalent cation-composite materials, such as poly(vinyl alcohol)-calcium. Also described herein are methods for the use of such sacrificial templates in casting of precise internal space microarchitectures within hydrogels, such as microchannel networks within alginate hydrogels.