High Internal Phase Emulsions (HIPEs) of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) were prepared using mixtures of surface-modified calcite (mCalcite) and a non-ionic surfactant. Twelve different emulsion formulations were created using an experimental design methodology. Three distinctive levels of the internal phase ratio, the amount of mCalcite loading, and the surfactant were used to prepare the HIPEs. Accordingly, macroporous polyDCPD composites were synthesized by performing ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) on the HIPEs. The variations in the morphological and physical properties of the composites were investigated in terms of experimental parameters. In the end, five different model equations were derived with a confidence level of 95%. The main and binary interaction effects of the experimental parameters on the responses, such as the average cavity size, interconnecting pore size, specific surface area, foam density, and compression modulus, were demonstrated. The synergistic interaction between the amount of surfactant, the amount of mCalcite loading, and the internal phase ratio appeared to have a dominant role in the average cavity diameter. The solo effect of the internal phase ratio on the interconnecting pore size, foam density, and compression modulus was confirmed. In addition, it was demonstrated that the specific surface area of the composites was mainly changed depending on the amount of mCalcite loading.
The objective of this study is the synthesis of macroporous polystyrene‐based polyHIPE/nanoclay (p[HIPE]/NClay) monoliths and post‐functionalization of the monoliths through sulfonation to improve the structural and textural properties as well as adsorption performances toward bisphenol A (BPA) as an endocrine‐disrupting chemical. The adsorption tests were conducted with raw p(HIPE), nanoclay, p(HIPE)/NClay, and sulfonated samples in order to obtain insights in the adsorption mechanism. The synergy between clay embedding and sulfonation resulted in higher BPA removal performance of p(HIPE)/NClay@S sample (96% removal) when compared with the raw polyHIPE (52% removal). The adsorption efficiency was mainly attributed to the functionality, followed by porosity and hydrophilicity of the as‐synthesized materials. Considering the roles of hydrophobic, hydrogen‐bonding, and π–π stacking interactions, the adsorption mechanism was discussed by using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Moreover, the experimental parameters including solution pH, co‐existing anions, ionic strength, and temperature were investigated in detail. The adsorption data were fitted to isotherm and kinetic models. The composite adsorbents also displayed excellent regeneration and stability until the fifth cycle. This research provides fresh insights into the effective adsorptive removal of endocrine‐disrupting hormones by sulfonated porous nanoclay‐polymer monoliths.
Practitioner Points
Sulfonated p (HIPE)/nanoclay monoliths were prepared.
Bisphenol A adsorption mechanism was explored in detail.
Nanoclay incorporation and sulfonation greatly enhanced the removal efficiency.
The composite could be used until the fifth cycle.
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