Pickering Emulsions as Designer Platforms for Polymer‐Based Hybrid Materials: Routes to Controlled Structures

Abstract

Polymer‐based hybrid materials have attracted great interest in academic research and industry because they can effectively combine the advantages of their different components. Pickering emulsions as designer platforms provide a very efficient and often unappreciated route to prepare polymer‐based hybrids. Their applications cover a broad range, including filter media, ion exchange modules, monolithic polymer supports for catalysis, covalent enzyme immobilization, and even scaffolds for tissue engineering. In this article, we first provide an introduction to the basics and formation of Pickering emulsions and then discuss how these systems can be used to obtain templates for the fabrication of materials with various morphologies, such as microspheres, fibers, films, and porous matrices. We then discuss the uniqueness of Pickering systems for morphology control and the resulting added value to obtain advanced complex and hybrid materials. We then review and summarize recent advances in the preparation approaches (polymerization and solvent evaporation) and physical morphologies (microspheres, fibers, films, and porous matrices). Finally, we offer an outlook for future developments.