Preparation of monodisperse enantiomerically pure glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate copolymers in dispersion copolymerization: Functionalization

Syntheses of monodisperse poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-co-(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) were carried out by single stage dispersion radical copolymerization. Particles in the range of 1.0-3.0 μm were prepared in ethanol using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) as a polymeric stabilizer. The effects of different polymerization parameters, such as crosslinking monomer concentration, dispersant molecular weight, dilution and dispersant/monomer ratio on an average particle size and size distribution are reported. The best conditions were applied to (R) and (S)-glycidyl methacrylate in order to form poly((R) and (S)-glycidyl methacrylate)-co-(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate). Nucleophiles such as benzylamine, oxa-aza and aza crown ethers, l-methyl prolinate and β-cyclodextrine acting have been coupled to these oxirane containing polymers. The concentration of the added nucleophile on the modified resin varied from 0.26 to 3.35 mmol/g resin.