Polymer monoliths synthesized by radiation co-polymerization in solution

Hydrophilic co-polymer monoliths were prepared by irradiating alcoholic solutions containing diethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (DEGDMA) and 2-hydroxyethylacrylate (HEA) monomers. The effect of monomer ratio, solvent properties and radiation dose on the porous properties of the monoliths was studied in detail and compared to the monolith prepared from DEGDMA. Increase of the HEA content in the co-monomer mixture (up to 18 vol%) resulted in monoliths with increased pore size and hydrophilic character. The biggest pores were obtained when methanol was used as solvent.The use of the monoliths as chromatographic columns for separation of proteins, amino and nucleic acids is also reported.