Monolithic polymer supports and scavengers were prepared via nucleophilic displacement of chlorine in poly(4-vinylbenzyl chloride-codivinylbenzene) PolyHIPE materials. Reactions of monolithic PolyHIPE with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, 4-aminobutanol, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, morpholine, and hexamethylenetetramine led to functionalized polymers with amino and hydroxy functionalities with high degrees of conversion. 4-Chlorobenzoyl chloride was efficiently and rapidly scavenged from solution by the tris(2-aminoethyl)amine derivative of monolithic poly(4-vinylbenzyl chloride-co-divinylbenzene) PolyHIPE at ambient temperature.

Water‐in‐oil high‐internal‐phase emulsions (HIPEs), containing 4‐nitrophenyl acrylate and 2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl acrylate as reactive monomers, were prepared and polymerized, and highly porous monolithic materials resulted. The novel materials were studied by combustion analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy scanning electron microscopy, mercury porosimetry, and N2 adsorption/desorption analysis. With both esters, cellular macroporous monolithic polymers were obtained; the use of 4‐nitrophenyl acrylate resulted in a cellular material with void diameters between 3 and 7 μm and approximately 3‐μm interconnects, whereas the use of 2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl acrylate yielded a foam with void diameters between 2 and 5 μm, most interconnects being around 1 μm. The resulting monoliths proved to be very reactive toward nucleophiles, and possibilities of functionalizing the novel polymer supports were demonstrated via reactions with amines bearing additional functional groups and via the synthesis of an acid chloride derivative. Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine derivatives were obtained. The hydrolysis of 4‐nitrophenylacrylate removed the nitrophenyl group, yielding a monolithic acrylic acid polymer. Furthermore, functionalization to immobilized acid chloride was performed very efficiently, with more than 95% of the acid groups reacting. The measurement of the nitrogen content in 4‐nitrophenyl acrylate poly(HIPE)s after various times of hydrolysis showed the influence of the total pore volume of the monolithic polymers on the velocity of the reaction, which was faster with the more porous polymer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 296–303, 2005

As part of ongoing research efforts to discover alternative support materials to polymer beads for use in polymer-supported synthesis, particularly under flow-through conditions, this work involves the synthesis of PolyHIPE (High Internal Phase Emulsion) polymer monoliths. PolyHIPEs containing high loadings of chloromethyl groups were efficiently prepared by the direct copolymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl chloride and divinylbenzene monomers. The ‘Merrifield' PolyHIPE proved to be an excellent support for batch and flow-through Suzuki cross-coupling reactions. A remarkably high yield of pure biaryl product was obtained using the PolyHIPE support in cubic form and utilizing an electron-rich boronic acid. In comparison to polymer beads, this material was found to be a much more efficient support in both batch and continuous flow modes. PolyHIPE converted a greater amount of chloromethyl groups into biaryl product under identical reaction conditions. It is suggested that the absence of channelling with PolyHIPE monoliths gives better performance under flow-through conditions than permanently porous beads.

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The preparation and properties of a series of nanocomposite materials obtained using different organically modified montmorillonite clays with a simple epoxy resin are reported. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis is used to assess the effect of the incorporation of the clay platelets into the matrix of the polymer. In this system, it is observed that with the well‐dispersed clay system the low temperature modulus increases as would be predicted for a filled polymer system. The high temperature modulus increase is consistent with the premise that the polymer is interacting directly with the clay platelets. The glass transition temperature increases with the loading of the clay in the polymer resins. However, the extent to which enhancement of the physical properties of the composite occurs depends on the nature of the organic modifier. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry