Thiol-Acrylate polyHIPEs via Facile Layer-by-Layer Photopolymerization

A highly reactive thiol-ene high internal phase emulsion based on the monomers 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate and tris 2-(3-mercaptopropionyloxy)ethyl isocyanurate was developed for the purpose of light-driven additive manufacturing, resulting in highly porous customizable poly(high internal phase emulsion) materials. The formulation was specifically designed to facilitate short irradiation times and low amounts of photoinitiator. Furthermore, the developed emulsion does not rely on employing harmful solvents to make scale-up and industrial applications feasible. The selected thiol was added to the printing formulation as a chain-transfer agent, decreasing the brittleness of the acrylate-based system and potential of oxygen inhibition. The thickness of the printed layers lay <50 μm, and the average pore size of all samples was <5 μm.