Polymerization of cellulose nanocrystals-based Pickering HIPE towards green porous materials

Porous materials were produced based on high internal phase emulsions (HIPE) formulation stabilized by modified cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). CNCs were first modified with bromoisobutyryl bromide and used as Pickering emulsion stabilizers to formulate highly concentrated inverse emulsions. Solid foams with an open porosity were successively produced by free radical polymerization of styrene/divinylbenzene continuous phase. The final materials were characterized regarding their cell size distribution, porosity and mechanical properties and then compared with well-known styrene/DVB polyHIPE stabilized either with usual surfactants or solid particles.