SYNTHESIS OF MACROPOROUS POLYACRYLAMIDE AND POLY(N-ISOPROPYLACRYLAMIDE) MONOLITHS VIA FRONTAL POLYMERIZATION AND INVESTIGATION OF PORE STRUCTURE VARIATION OF MONOLITHS

A novelty method, frontal polymerization (FP), was employed to directly produce a series of polyacrylamide (PAM), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and acrylamide-N-isopropylacrylamide copolymer macroporous monoliths. Field emission scanning electronic microscope and mercury intrusion method were adopted to measure some parameters of these monoliths, such as frame, pore size distribution as well as porosity. Effects of types of monomer, thicker and surfactant on porous structure of monoliths were studied. A variety of pore morphologies, such as honeycomb, sheet and grid, was obtained by changing types of reactants. The above results allowed us to conclude that FP can be exploited as an alternative means of macroporous polymer monolithic synthesis with the additional advantages of high velocity, environmental safe and energy reduction.