270205 PR Synthesis and Characterization of Porous Organic Materials (2024S)

Porous organic materials come in many different forms, encompassing nanoporous synthetic polymers with very high surface areas, cellulose-based filter papers for separation applications, macroporous emulsion-templated foams, and many more. The synthetic production routes of each material can differ vastly and hence present an excellent opportunity for the exploration of material science.

The course will involve both the synthesis and characterization of porous organic materials, such as those listed above and more. Insoluble networks will be characterised using solid-state techniques, such as FTIR, XPS, TGA and nitrogen sorption isotherms. Prospective students may be tasked with testing the mechanical properties of foam materials the determination of membrane flux in cellulose/based filter papers. We hope to provide the basics skills to produce chemists capable of working in and contributing to the field of porous organic materials.