Mechanistic Insights into the Formation of Monodisperse Porous Poly(GMA-co-EDMA) Microspheres
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Monodisperse porous polymer spheres are functional materials with attractive properties such as high cohesive strength, strong adsorptivity, and a high degree of surface functionalization due to their large specific surface area. They are widely used in various fields, including biomedicine, instrumental analytics as stationary phases in HPLC columns, and sensor technology. In this work, the formation mechanism of porous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (p(GMA-co-EDMA)) particles was investigated in a time-resolved experiment using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and two-dimensional confocal Raman spectroscopy. Data analysis revealed that the particles are formed via rapidly reacting anisotropic Janus-like intermediates that assemble into large agglomerates of different morphologies. Spectral unmixing of the Raman data enabled to determine relative concentration changes of the reactants over time. This study uncovers a pool of previously unknown anisotropic particle species that offer new opportunities for subsequent functionalization and material design.
Source: Polymers
Institutions: Reutlingen University, University of Tübingen
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,258
OpenAlex ID: W7170689124