Novel porous polymer monoliths adapted for sample preparation

Abstract

A porous polymer monolith comprises a polymer body having macroporous through-pores that facilitate fluid flow through the body and an array of mesopores adapted to bind from the fluid flow molecules of a predetermined range of sizes, wherein the surface area of the monolith is predominantly provided by the mesopores. Also disclosed is a method of making a porous polymer monolith. The method includes forming a polymer body by phase separation out of a solution containing at least a monomer, a crosslinker and a primary porogen, whereby the body contains multiple macroporous through-pores, wherein the solution further contains a secondary porogen comprising oligomers inert with respect to the monomer and cross-linker but chemically compatible with the monomer so as to form mesostructures within the polymer body during said phase separation, and washing the mesostructures from the body to provide an array of mesopores such that the surface area of the monolith is predominantly provided by the mesopores.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of making a porous polymer monolith comprising:
 forming a polymer body by phase separation out of a solution comprising a monomer and a primary porogen, whereby the body contains multiple macroporous through-pores, wherein the solution further comprises a secondary porogen comprising oligomers inert with respect to the monomer but chemically compatible with the monomer so as to form mesostructures within the polymer body during said phase separation, wherein the secondary porogen has a molecular weight of not more than 5000, and   washing the mesostructures from the body to provide an array of mesopores such that the surface area of the monolith is predominantly provided by the mesopores.   
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the secondary porogen is an oligomeric form of the monolith polymer. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the secondary porogen comprises styrene oligomers. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31  wherein the styrene oligomers are structured to minimise or prevent their participation in the primary phase separation polymerisation reaction that forms the monolith body. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein the monomer is a mix of methacrylates and the secondary porogen is a HEMA oligomer. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein there are no or substantially no residual mesostructures formed from the secondary porogen. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the macoporous through-pores are substantially unmodified and unaffected by the addition of the secondary porogen during the formation of the polymer body. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the pore size profile of the mesopores is predetermined by the molecular size and therefore molecular weight of the secondary porogen oligomers. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the secondary porogen is soluble in the solution comprising the monomer and primary porogen. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the mesopores have a pore size in the range 20-120 Å or 40-120 Å. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the macroporous through-pores have a pore size in the range of 2-3 microns or 1-5 micron. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the mesopores contain sites adapted to bind molecules of predetermined character, structure, chemistry or size. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein greater than 65% of the surface area of the monolith is provided by the mesopores. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 29  carried out in situ in a sample preparation or analytic device. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 29  further comprising surface grafting onto a surface of the monolith body to provide a hydrophilic external surface. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the surface grafting comprising grafting poly(ethyleneglycol)methylether methacrylate (PEGMA) onto the surface of the polymer body. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44  wherein the monomer is divinyl benzene. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the monomer is divinyl benzene. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the secondary porogen has a molecular weight of not more than 2000. 
     
     
         48 . A method for separating an analyte from a solution, the method comprising passing the solution comprising the analytye through the polymer body prepared according to the method of  claim 29 .