Hypercrosslinked materials: preparation, characterisation and applications

This review article provides an overview of hypercrosslinking technology. In particular, it covers the preparation and characterisation of hypercrosslinked materials and their applications. The synthesis section examines the different monomers, precursor polymers and reagents used to prepare hypercrosslinked materials, but also the different synthetic approaches disclosed in the literature. The various chemical modification reactions relevant to this area are also reviewed. Several examples of applications for hypercrosslinked materials are described; these applications are grouped into thematic areas such as chromatography, gas storage and the trapping of organic contaminants. Hypercrosslinked materials have experienced a great expansion in both the synthetic approach and the field of applications.