POS4-0634
Fabrication of Bicontinuous Porous Carbon Particles via Polymerization-Induced Microphase Separation in Emulsion Droplets
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Heesuk KIM
Jinhye BAE
Presenter(s)
Younghyeon Ahn (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST))
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Porous carbon supports are critical for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), as their internal channel connectivity governs mass transport of reactants and products, directly affecting electrocatalytic performance. Block copolymer (BCP) templating, such as PS-b-PDMS, enables the formation of porous carbon particles through self-assembly of BCP in emulsion droplets, followed by selective etching and carbonization, thereby enhancing PtFe catalyst activity. However, BCP based methods suffer from high cost, sensitivity to assembly conditions, and difficulty forming percolated bicontinuous channels. Here, we present a scalable and cost-effective approach using polymerization-induced microphase separation (PIMS) to fabricate porous carbon particles with bicontinuous channels. By implementing PIMS within emulsion droplets, polymer particles with interconnected internal networks are produced, which were subsequently converted into porous carbon particles through hypercrosslinking, selective etching of sacrificial PDMS domains, and controlled carbonization. The resulting carbon particles exhibit open and continuous channels (~25 nm), providing efficient pathways for mass transport. Importantly, the internal channel structure can be tuned by adjusting the molecular weight of PDMS-CTA, allowing precise control over pore size and connectivity. This approach produces bicontinuous porous carbons with scalable, cost-effective synthesis, combining structural tunability and high accessibility, offering an efficient platform for catalyst supports in electrocatalytic applications requiring optimized mass transport.
