# A Tunable Sponge-like Lipophilic Gel with Branched Poly(2-propyl aspartamide) Crosslinkers for Enhanced VOC Absorption

## TL;DR

This study introduces a sponge-like gel that efficiently absorbs volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like toluene, with performance optimized by adjusting its chemical composition.

## Contribution

A tunable lipophilic gel with a branched crosslinker is developed for enhanced VOC absorption, revealing the importance of porous structure over silicon content.

## Key findings

- The optimal TMSPMA monomer content maximizes toluene removal efficiency.
- Porous structure is more crucial for absorption than silicon content.
- Excessive silicon content reduces performance by collapsing the porous structure.

## Abstract

In this study, we present a sponge-like lipophilic gel crosslinked with a branched crosslinker as an absorbent for VOC removal. The gel was synthesized by crosslinking the monomer 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPMA) with the branched crosslinker poly(2-propyl aspartamide) grafted methacrylate (PPA-g-MA). The grafted crosslinker, PPA-g-MA, was prepared by introducing acrylate groups as crosslinking moieties to the poly(succinimide) precursor for poly(2-propyl aspartamide) (PPA), which serves as a hydrophobic backbone. Lipophilic gels were synthesized with varying TMSPMA monomer concentrations and freeze-dried to form a porous structure. To evaluate VOC absorption, the toluene removal efficiency of the sponge-like lipophilic gel was tested in a continuous gas flow system. As a result, the optimal TMSPMA monomer content for maximizing toluene removal efficiency was determined. This result suggests that while an increase in silicon content generally enhances VOC removal efficiency, the porous structure of sponge-like lipophilic gels plays a more crucial role in absorption capacity. The collapse of the porous structure, caused by excessive silicon content making the material more rubber-like, explains why there exists an optimal monomer content for effective VOC absorption. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights for developing high-performance VOC absorbents.