Porous monolithic materials have been prepared via ring-opening metathesis polymerization from norborn-2-ene and a 7-oxanorborn-2-ene-based cross-linker in the presence of porogenic solvents (i.e., 2-propanol and toluene) and norborn-2-enephosphonate surface-modified CaCO(3) nanoparticles, using the 3(rd) -generation Grubbs-initiator RuCl(2) (Py)(2) (IMesH(2) )(CHPh). The experimental setup and the conditions chosen allowed for the manufacturing of polymeric monoliths characterized by a homogeneous distribution of the inorganic nanoparticles throughout the polymeric monolith. Depending on the nanoparticle content, the macropore diameters could be varied in the 30-120 µm regime. Noteworthy, the addition of nanoparticles did not affect the phase separation-triggered formation of the monolithic matrix nor the meso- and microporosity as evidenced by N(2) -adsorption experiments.

SummaryPorous monolithic inorganic/polymeric hybrid materials have been prepared via ring-opening metathesis copolymerization starting from a highly polar monomer, i.e., cis-5-cyclooctene-trans-1,2-diol and a 7-oxanorborn-2-ene-derived cross-linker in the presence of porogenic solvents and two types of inorganic nanoparticles (i.e., CaCO3 and calcium hydroxyapatite, respectively) using the third-generation Grubbs initiator RuCl2(Py)2(IMesH2)(CHPh). The physico-chemical properties of the monolithic materials, such as pore size distribution and microhardness were studied with regard to the nanoparticle type and content. Moreover, the reinforced monoliths were tested for the possible use as scaffold materials in tissue engineering, by carrying out cell cultivation experiments with human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells.