Thermally responsive polymer monoliths
AssigneeCornell Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsEric C. Peters, Frantisek Svec, Jean M.J. Frechet
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Abstract
Porous polymer monoliths are made thermally responsive by functionalizing/grafting the pores with thermally responsive polymers and copolymers. Depending on the reaction conditions employed, the grafted polymer can either completely block flow through micrometer-sized pores in the monoliths or control the flow rate through the monoliths. The grafted monoliths are useful as thermal gates, thermal valves, and for isocratic hydrophobic interaction chromatography of proteins.
Claims19
A composite polymer monolith wherein a thermally responsive polymer is grafted to the surface of pores within a rigid porous polymer monolith by a two-step grafting procedure comprising the steps of (i) vinylization of the pores followed by (ii) in situ polymerization of a monomer which forms a thermally responsive polymer within said pores.
A polymer monolith having pores through which a liquid may pass, said pores containing a grafted thermally responsive polymer, wherein flow of the liquid through the monolith does not occur at a first temperature and does occur at a second higher temperature.
A polymer monolith having internal pores through which a liquid may pass, said pores containing a grafted thermally responsive polymer, wherein the rate of flow of the liquid through the monolith is controlled by the temperature of the monolith.
An method for obtaining an isocratic hydrophobic interaction chromatographic separation of biomolecules using a mobile phase with a constant salt concentration which comprises the steps of:
- (i) injecting a mixture of bio-molecules into a porous polymer monolith of a first polymer having grafted thereon a second polymer which is thermally responsive, the injecting being at a first temperature which is above the lower critical solution temperature of the thermally responsive polymer;
- (ii) eluting a first bio-molecule among the mixture of biomolecules with the mobile phase at the first temperature;
- (iii) decreasing the temperature to a second temperature below the lower critical solution temperature;
- and
- (iv) eluting a second biomolecule from among the mixture of biomolecules with the mobile phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.