Elucidating the complex structure–property–performance relationships in multifunctional polymer matrix composites (PMCs) remains a formidable challenge. This difficulty stems from the intricate coupling between formulation variables, porous morphology, physicochemical attributes, and functional outcomes, particularly under the “small-data” constraints inherent to experimental materials research. This study introduces a robust, interpretable machine learning (ML) framework tailored for the analysis of macroporous polyHIPE-based magnetic composites. All analyses were conducted exclusively on curated experimental data reported in the literature. By leveraging a curated dataset synthesized from multiple independent studies with harmonized characterization protocols, we integrated processing parameters and quantitative morphological descriptors to predict two critical engineering outputs: dye removal efficiency (%) and saturation magnetization (Ms). Nonlinear ensemble ML models were rigorously trained and evaluated using repeated cross-validation and cross-study validation strategies to ensure predictive robustness and domain transferability. The superior performance of nonlinear models over linear baselines underscores that composite functionality is governed by synergistic, non-additive interactions. Model-agnostic interpretability analyses further revealed that pore interconnectivity and accessible surface area are the primary determinants of adsorption performance. Conversely, while increased magnetic nanoparticle loading enhances magnetic responsiveness, it induces a significant trade-off with adsorption efficiency. These findings demonstrate that uncertainty-aware ML can extract generalizable, physically grounded design insights from heterogeneous experimental literature, providing a streamlined, data-driven pathway for the rational design and screening of multifunctional porous materials without necessitating additional experimental overhead.
Recio-Colmenares et al. (Fri,) studied this question.