# US 8,785,111 B2 · Hydrophilic nanoporous materials

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- Number: US 8,785,111 B2
- Document ID: US8785111B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/133,701
- Filed: 2009-12-09
- Published: 2011-12-15
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-09
- Assignees: Danmarks Tekniske Universitet
- Applicants: Li Li; Sokol Ndoni; Rolf Henrik Berg; Lars Schulte; Martin E. Vigild
- Inventors: Li Li; Sokol Ndoni; Rolf Henrik Berg; Lars Schulte; Martin E. Vigild
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785111B2

## CPC

- C08J 9/0071: {Nanosized fillers, i.e. having at least one dimension below 100 nanometers}
- C08J 9/26: by elimination of a solid phase from a macromolecular composition or article, e.g. leaching out
- C08J 9/36: After-treatment (C08J9/22 takes precedence)
- C08J 2201/046: Elimination of a polymeric phase
- C08J 2300/00: Characterised by the use of unspecified polymers
- C08J 2353/00: Characterised by the use of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Derivatives of such polymers
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)

## Abstract

The present application discloses a method for preparing and rendering hydrophilic a nanoporous material of a polymer matrix which has a porosity of 0.1-90% (v/v), such that the ratio between the final water absorption (% (w/w)) and the porosity (% (v/v)) is at least 0.05, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a precursor material comprising at least one polymeric component and having a first phase and a second phase; (b) removal of at least a part of the first phase of the precursor material prepared in step (a) so as to leave behind a nanoporous material of the polymer matrix; (c) irradiating at least a part of said nanoporous material with light of a wave length of in the range of 250-400 nm (or 200-700 nm) in the presence of oxygen and/or ozone. Corresponding hydrophilic nanoporous materials are also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for the preparation of a nanoporous material of a polymer matrix which has a porosity of 0.1-90%(v/v) and an initial water absorption (%(w/w)) obtained after steps (a) and (b), but before irradiation in step (c), such that the ratio between said initial water absorption (%(w/w)) and said porosity (%(v/v)) is at the most 0.05, said matrix at least in part being rendered more hydrophilic so that said part of said polymer matrix has a final water absorption (%(w/w)) after step (c) such that the ratio between said final water absorption (%(w/w)) and said porosity (%(v/v)) is at least 0.05, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing a precursor material comprising at least one polymeric component and having a first phase or micro phase and a second phase or micro-phase, wherein at least one polymeric component is a block-copolymer;
(b) removal of at least a part of the first phase or micro-phase of the precursor material prepared in step (a) effected by means of chemical etching, photo-chemical etching, cleaving, extraction, or evaporation, or is combination of these, so as to leave behind a nanoporous material of the polymer matrix, wherein the pores of said nanoporous material have an average diameter in the range of 1.0-100 nm, and wherein the periodicity of the pores is in the range of 1.0-100 nm;
(c) irradiating at least a part of said nanoporous material through a mask with light of a wave length of in the range of 300-400 nm in the presence of oxygen and/or ozone, wherein the mask provides a micrometer-scale pattern of hydrophilic surface sections in the matrix of the hydrophobic material.