Vitrimer Incorporation for Enhanced Cushioning Properties of Acrylic Poly HIPEs

ABSTRACT The high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating method offers a simple, low‐cost route to porous foams, but is hindered by a key challenge: during conventional thermal drying, removal of the internal phase creates capillary stress that collapses the delicate porous structure. This work employs a one‐pot in situ strategy to permit the use of conventional thermal drying. A Span 80/SiO 2 ‐stabilized water‐in‐oil HIPE template is loaded with a mixture of isobornyl methacrylate and 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinker, and zinc acetate as catalyst. Subsequent to thermal polymerization, a stepwise heating regimen is applied to simultaneously dry the material and activate transesterification catalysis by Zn 2+ ions, forming a dynamic vitrimer network. The preservation of the porous architecture is achieved by this network, which alleviates drying‐induced capillary stresses through dynamic bond exchange via transesterification. The prepared vitrimer integrated polyHIPE foam exhibits a uniform pore morphology and outstanding cushioning performance, with a compressive stress of 0.246 MPa recorded at 25% strain. This strategy establishes a low‐energy, scalable pathway to robust porous polymers, while providing key insights into kinetic stress‐dissipation mechanisms that inform the design of foams resistant to drying‐induced collapse.