Provided herein is a superabsorbent polyHIPE composition-of-matter comprising a majority of ionizable pendant groups, capable of absorbing up to 300-fold by mass water while exhibiting a notable mechanical strength in both the dry and wet form, as well as various uses thereof.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a porous scaffold for tissue engineering. It is another object of the present invention to provide a porous scaffold obtainable by the method as above described, and its use for tissue engineering, cell culture and cell delivery. The method of the invention comprises the steps consisting of: a) preparing an alkaline aqueous solution comprising an amount of at least one polysaccharide, an amount of a cross-linking agent and an amount of a porogen agent b) transforming the solution into a hydrogel by placing said solution at a temperature from about 4 C. to about 80 C. for a sufficient time to allow the cross-linking of said amount of polysaccharide and c) submerging said hydrogel into an aqueous solution d) washing the porous scaffold obtained at step c).

The present disclosure relates to a process for preparing porous crosslinked hydrophilic polymeric materials. Such materials can be prepared from oil-in-water high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) containing hydrophilic polymers. The oil-in-water high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) comprises two phases: an external continuous aqueous phase containing at least one hydrophilic polymer; and an internal oil phase. The hydrophilic polymer is crosslinked to form a three-dimensionally crosslinked polymer matrix. The internal oil phase is subsequently removed to obtain a porous crosslinked hydrophilic polymeric material. The present invention also relates to porous crosslinked hydrophilic polymeric materials prepared by such a process.

A High Internal Phase Emulsion (HIPE) foam having cellulose nanoparticles.

An anti-biofouling shape-memory composite aerogel includes a unidirectional chitosan aerogel channel, a plant polyphenol coating, and a polyphenol/iron ion chelate. The plant polyphenol coating is evenly distributed on an inner wall of the unidirectional chitosan aerogel channel, and the polyphenol/iron ion chelate is located at a top end of the unidirectional chitosan aerogel channel. The anti-biofouling chitosan-based composite aerogel has an evaporation rate of 1.96 kg.Math.m.sup.2.Math.h.sup.1 at an illumination intensity of 1 kW/m.sup.2. The composite aerogel has shape-memory properties, and can quickly restore its original shape in water after extrusion, thereby accelerating the diffusion of substances to complete the modification of inner channels. In this way, desirable anti-biofouling ability is achieved, and excellent structural stability as well as continuous and efficient photothermal water evaporation are guaranteed in a complex water environment.

Provided are a photon up-conversion film, which is capable of high-efficiency up-conversion even in air and even when low-intensity light is used, and a simple method of producing the film. The photon up-conversion film according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a matrix including a resin; and a pore portion, wherein the photon up-conversion film includes at least a sensitizing component capable of absorbing light in a first wavelength region 1, and a light-emitting component capable of radiating light in a second wavelength region 2 including wavelengths shorter than those of the first wavelength region 1, and wherein the sensitizing component and the light-emitting component are present at an interface between the matrix and the pore portion.

A hierarchical porous polymeric material and its preparation method in the field of porous polymeric materials provided. The preparation method comprises: (1) mixing hydrophobic silica particles, an initiator, a polymerizable monomer, a crosslinking agent, a co-crosslinking agent and a pore-forming agent together, uniformly stirring to obtain a reaction mixture; (2) adding water into the reaction mixture and stirring until a gel emulsion is formed; and (3) carrying out staged thermal polymerization on the gel emulsion to obtain the hierarchical porous polymeric material. The present application can effectively regulate and control the contents and sizes of pores and throats, and obtain a material with hierarchical micro-porous structures. The good heat transfer and zero explosion in the polymerization process enable high product qualification rate. The wet material has rich pores, small resistance in mass transfer process and fast drying rate. Meanwhile, the obtained material has excellent machinability and static load resistance.

A macroporous-structured polymeric aerogel, and methods for making and using the same, having a polymeric matrix that includes macropores is disclosed.

The disclosure provides a very simple and convenient method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer. The herein disclosed method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer includes a step of preparing an emulsion containing a water-soluble polymer, water, and a dispersoid, wherein the water-soluble polymer is dissolved and the dispersoid is dispersed in the emulsion, and a step of evaporating and thereby removing the water and the dispersoid from the emulsion. The boiling point of the dispersoid is higher than the boiling point of water. The solubility of the water-soluble polymer in the dispersoid is lower than the solubility of the water-soluble polymer in water.

The invention involves functionalizing polymeric beads, such as DVB beads, to add an epoxide or aldehyde group. The resulting beads are useful in various applications.