Working Group of Polymer Particles

Head: Daniel Horák, PhD
(phone: +420-296 809 260, e-mail: horak@imc.cas.cz

Research

Synthesis and characterization of polymer matrices based on synthetic and natural polymers

• polymer supports based on beads prepared by suspension, dispersion or emulsion polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and other monomers
• membranes (sheets) by bulk polymerization
• monodisperse (monosized) particles; control of their size, porosity and swelling behaviour
• magnetic carrier technology - design of magnetic microspheres with a narrow size distribution
• thermal sol-gel transition of cellulose xanthate in suspension or bulk
• heterogeneous matrices containing hypercrosslinked microparticle fillers for separation of small organic molecules
• preparation and modification of polymer carriers by microwave methods

Functionalization and other modifications of polymer matrices

• immobilization of new selective ligands for inorganic cations and anions for chromatographic (e.g., IMAC) and environmental applications
• activation of a polymer support and subsequent immobilization of low- and high-molecular-weight ligands with biospecific interactions for analytical, separation and catalytic processes

Application of particulate polymers

• hydrogel particles for embolization and chemoembolization of blood vessels in treatment of cancer and hemorrhages
• technical superadsorbents for non-polar organic liquids
• diol-containing scavengers of toxic inorganic oxoanions (e.g., arsenate, arsenite, molybdate) and metal complexes for sorption of anions by ligand exchange
• synthetic hydrogel scaffolding for cell cultivation and tissue engineering

Send your comments to:
horak@imc.cas.cz
Last modified: 18.12.2006