Ultrasound suspension polymerization method for preparation of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate macroporous copolymers

A new method for the preparation of macroporous polymeric sorbents more particularly for chromatography, has been investigated. Copolymer of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate and ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate have been synthesized by suspension polymerization using ultrasound (20 kHz). The influence of ultrasound on the shape and the mean particle size has been studied as well as the evolution of the physical characteristics (surface area, pore volume) depending on the composition of the reaction medium. Comparison with usual suspension polymerization results shows that this method is interesting either to prepare small particles (10 mu m) or large ones (100 mu m) because in both cases particles show a narrower polydispersity of size.