Intellectual merit: This work demonstrates the facile, on-demand manufacturing of polymer foams with desirable properties such as mechanical strength, controlled porosity, and varied composition. Key to the success is the design of building blocks and monomer units based on a two-step process: initial 3D photopolymerization and subsequent thermal processing.
Broader Impacts: The materials and methods developed in this work are amenable to traditional 3D printing, and offer new opportunities to generate foams with tailored structures, geometries and mechanics.
