Indresh Singh, Snehasish Samal, Atishay Jain, T. Boominathan, Sakshi Gokhale, Rajagopal Desikan, C. V. S. Brahmananda Rao, Akella Sivaramakrishna
Functionalized polyurethane foams (PUF) with hierarchical porosity are architected multifunctional platforms that can be transformed into advanced task-specific materials towards waste management, energy harvesting, and biomedical applications. Strategic incorporation of inorganic nanofillers (silica, nanoclays, metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles), carbonaceous phases (graphene), bio-based components (biopolymers, carbohydrates, castor-oil derivatives, melamine), and organophosphorus motifs enables targeted performance enhancements. Advanced fabrication routes such as in situ green synthesis, layer-by-layer assembly, and 3D printing provide hierarchical control over cell morphology and functional domain distribution. These strategies unlock PU foams as versatile substrates for heavy-metal sorption, oil-water separation, gas/volatile organic compound capture, tissue engineering, wound healing, piezoresistive sensing, shape-memory actuation, and triboelectric energy harvesting. Composite-driven, data-guided design positions PU foams as sustainable, "smart" platforms for next-generation technologies, paving the way for scalable, adaptive materials systems.