Nanoporous polymeric materials: A new class of materials with enhanced properties

In this review, the key properties of these nanoporous polymeric materials (mechanical, thermal, dielectric, optical, filtration, sensing, etc.) are analyzed. The experimental and theoretical results obtained up to date related to the structure-property relations are presented. In several sections, in order to present a more compressive approach, the trends obtained for nanoporous polymers are compared to those for metallic and ceramic nanoporous systems. Moreover, some specific characteristics of these materials, such as the consequences of the confinement of both gas and solid phases, are described. Likewise, the main production methods are briefly described. Finally, some of the potential applications of these materials are also discussed in this paper.