Macroporous gel, its preparation and its use

A method for the preparation of a polymer in macroporous gel form, comprising the steps of:

• forming an aqueous solution by dissolving in water one or more water-soluble monomers selected from the group consisting of:
• acrylamide, N-substituted and non-substituted (meth)acrylamides, N-alkyl substituted N-vinylamides, hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylates, vinylacetate, alkylethers of vinyl alcohol, ring substituted styrene derivatives, vinyl monomers, (meth)acrylic acid, silicic acid, and monomers capable of forming polymers via polycondensation, and salts thereof
• forming a cryogel by maintaining the aqueous solution at a temperature below the solvent crystallization point of the aqueous solution wherein the aqueous solution comprises a frozen fraction and a non-frozen fraction with the dissolved monomers concentrated in the non-frozen fraction of solution, for a length of time sufficient for the monomers to form an elastic polymer with highly interconnected pores;
• and
• after the step of forming the cryogel, thawing the cryogel,
• modifying the thawed cryogel, and
• introducing into the modified cryogel a member selected from the group consisting of ligands, charged groups, dyes and hydrophobic groups.