Fabrication of a GMA-co-EDMA Monolith in a 2.0 mm i.d. Polypropylene Housing.
Polymers are interesting housing materials for the fabrication of inexpensive monolithic chromatography and solid phase extraction (SPE) devices. Challenges arise when polymeric monoliths are formed in non-conical, cylindrical tubes of larger diameter due to potential monolith detachment from the housing wall resulting in loss of separation performance and mechanical stability. Here, a two-step protocol is applied to ensure formation of robust homogeneous methacrylate monolith in polypropylene (PP) tubing with a diameter of 2.0 mm. Detailed Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging confirm the successful pre-modification of the tubing wall with an anchoring layer of cross-linked ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA). Subsequent formation of an EDMA-glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monolith in the PP tube resulted in a homogeneous monolithic polymer with enhanced mechanical stability as compared to non-anchored monoliths.
Funding
This work was supported by funding from Science Foundation Ireland (07/IN1/B1792). M. I. gratefully acknowledges support from the Biomedical Diagnostic Institute (BDI) and the Irish Separation Science Cluster (ISSC)
History
Comments
This article is also available at http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/9/4/263Published Citation
Iacono M, Connolly D, Heise A. Fabrication of a GMA-co-EDMA Monolith in a 2.0 mm i.d. Polypropylene Housing. Materials. 2016;9:263.Publication Date
2016-03-31External DOI
PubMed ID
28773385Department/Unit
- Chemistry