Method for preparing highly porous polymer particles for diagnostic applications

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of preparing a magnetic particle having a polymer matrix (P) and at least one magnetic core (M), preferably at least two magnetic cores (M), wherein the polymer matrix (P) comprises at least one hypercrosslinked polymer, wherein the method comprises (i) providing at least one magnetic core (M), preferably at least two magnetic cores (M), (ii) providing polymer precursor molecules, (iii) polymerizing the polymer precursor molecules according to (ii) in the presence of the at least one magnetic core (M), thereby forming a particle comprising the at least one magnetic core (M). Further, the present disclosure relates to particles obtained or obtainable by this method as well as to the use of these particles. In a further aspect, the disclosure relates to a method for determining at least one analyte in a fluid sample having the step of contacting of the magnetic particle with a fluid sample having or suspected of having the at least one analyte.

1 . A method of preparing a magnetic particle comprising a polymer matrix (P) and at least one magnetic core (M), wherein the polymer matrix (P) comprises at least one hypercrosslinked polymer, wherein the method comprises:
 providing at least one magnetic core (M),   (ii) providing polymer precursor molecules,   (iii) polymerizing the polymer precursor molecules according to (ii) in the presence of the at least one magnetic core (M), thereby forming a particle comprising the at least one magnetic core (M) embedded in a polymer matrix (P1), and   (iv) hypercrosslinking the polymer matrix (P1) of the polymer particle obtained in (iii) via a Friedel-Crafts reaction, wherein the reaction is carried out at a temperature equal to or less than 80° C.,   to give the magnetic particle, wherein the magnetic particle has a particle size in the range of from 5 to 40 micrometers,   wherein the reaction in (iv) is not carried out in a solvent comprising dichloroethane or other organic halides;   wherein the reaction in (iv) is carried out for a reaction time of 4 h or less.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction in (iv) is carried out at a temperature in the range of from −30° C. to 80° C. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction in (iv) is carried out in a solvent comprising at least THF, acetonitrile, DMF, dioxane or toluol. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction in (iv) is carried out in a solvent selected from the group consisting of THF, acetonitrile, DMF, toluol, dioxane and mixture of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction in (iv) is carried out under inert atmosphere. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the reaction in (iv) an inert gas is streamed through the mixture. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in (iv) the at least one magnetic core (M) is embedded into the matrix. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hypercrosslinking in (iv) is carried out in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is a Lewis acid. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the hypercrosslinking in (iv) is carried out in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of FeCl 3 , ZnCl 2 , AlCl 3 , BF 3 , SbCl 5 , SnCl 4 , TiCl 4 , SiCl 4  and mixtures of two or more thereof 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 (v) functionalizing the surface of the polymer particle according to (iv).   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymerization in (iii) is a suspension polymerization. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction in (iv) is carried out for a reaction time of 3 h or less. 
     
     
         13 . A magnetic particle obtained or obtainable by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A method for determining at least one analyte in a fluid sample comprising the steps of:
 a) contacting a magnetic particle of  claim 13  with a fluid sample comprising or suspected to comprise the at least one analyte; and   b) determining the at least one analyte bound to the said magnetic particle.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said analyte is selected from the group consisting of: steroids, vitamins, drugs, sugars, organic compounds, proteins, nucleic acids, sugars and mixtures of two or more thereof.