Block Copolymers Self-Assembly Allows Obtaining Tunable Micro or Nanoporous Membranes or Depth Filters Based on PMMA; Fabrication Method and Nanostructures

An environmentally friendly method to produce tunable bulk micro or nanoporous structures is presented. Nano- and micro-porous structures are obtained by gas dissolution foaming using CO2, following the pattern of polymer blends between poly­(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and a triblock copolymer, namely poly­(methylmethacrylate)-co-poly­(butyl acrylate)-co-poly­(methyl methacrylate) (MAM) blends nanostructuration. Membranes or depth filters can be produced by this method, varying the amount of the triblock copolymer in the blend. Furthermore, main characteristics, such as the average pore size and porosity can be finely tuned by adjusting the process parameters (temperature or pressure) during gas foaming.