Organic monoliths provide an opportunity for efficient separations or as a support for solid phase chemistry.   Novel nanoparticles offer  the possibility of  significant improvement in separations.   A method that rapidly incorporates nanoparticles functionalized with bioactive molecules at room temperature can avoid complications from the prolonged heat exposure in classic thermally polymerized systems.  We have developed an accelerated radical curing method for the generation of an organic monolith system that can be done at room temperature on the timescale of 30 seconds to 30 minutes depending on the ratio of initiator and accelerator chemistry.  The conversion of the vinyl groups in the organic monoliths by this approach in both �microcolumns� and microfluidic devices has been monitored by IR spectroscopy and confocal laser Raman microscopy, respectively.  Current efforts focus on the comparison of separations by this new method relative to classic thermal systems and the effect of embedded nanoparticles on targeted separations.

Accelerated curing method for the synthesis of nanoparticle embedded organic monoliths

244th National Meeting (2012)

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