A Versatile Synthetic Approach toward Hyper-Cross-Linked Styrene-Based Polymers and Nanocomposites

We describe a new synthetic approach for the realization of hyper-cross-linked (HCL) styrene resins, based on the bulk prepolymerization of a gel-type precursor followed by a traditional Friedel-Crafts alkylation step. The obtained HCL materials show comparable properties with respect to the corresponding resins obtained by typical suspension prepolymerization. The versatility of the proposed process is demonstrated through the realization of two innovative classes of advanced materials, i.e., HCL microporous organic polymer nanocomposites (MOPNs) and polymer membranes containing HCL fillers, which both represent very promising strategies toward wide and successful application of Davankov-type materials for gas separation and storage and for water remediation.