Hydrophlic polymer coated perflurocarbon polymer matrices for bioaffinity separations

Claim 1

A method for making adsorbent particles comprising the sequential steps: (1) dispersing porous particles of inert perfluorocarbon polymer in water-miscible organic solvent to wet the surfaces of the porous particles; (2) separating the porous perfluorocarbon polymer particles, the surfaces of which are wetted with the water-miscible solvent, from the water-miscible solvent in the dispersion from step (1); (3) forming a dispersion of the miscible solvent-wetted perfluorocarbon polymer particles from step (2) in an aqueous solution of hydrophilic polymer having a molecular weight of at least 1,000 up to the point of insolubility of the polymer in water, the chains of the polymer containing a plurality of hydroxyl groups at least one of which is located at an end of a polymer chain, by which the hydrophilic polymer is adsorbed onto the wetted surfaces of the perfluorocarbon polymer; (4) admixing a homobifunctional cross-linking agent with the dispersion from step (3) to effect cross-linking of the adsorbed hydrophilic polymer adsorbed on the surfaces of the fluorocarbon polymer; (5) separating the cross-linked hydrophilic polymer-coated particles from the dispersion from step (4); (6) activating hydroxyl groups on the surface of the cross-linked hydrophilic polymer to provide for covalent bonding thereto of a ligand or ligand binder; and (7) covalently bonding a ligand or ligand binder to the activated hydroxyl groups on the surface of the hydrophilic polymer.

Claim 2

A method for making adsorbent particles comprising the sequential steps: (1) dispersing porous particles of inert perfluorocarbon polymer in water-miscible organic solvent to wet the surfaces of the porous particles; (2) separating the porous perfluorocarbon polymer particles, the surfaces of which are wetted with the water-miscible solvent, from the water-miscible solvent in the dispersion from step (1); (3) forming a dispersion of the miscible solvent-wetted perfluorocarbon polymer particles from step (2) in an aqueous solution of hydrophilic polymer having a molecular weight of at least 1,000 up to the point of insolubility of the polymer in water, the chains of the polymer containing a plurality of hydroxyl groups at least one of which is located at an end of a polymer chain, by which the hydrophilic polymer is adsorbed onto the wetted surfaces of the perfluorocarbon polymer; (4) admixing a homobifunctional cross-linking agent with the dispersion from step (3) to effect cross-linking of the adsorbed hydrophilic polymer adsorbed on the surfaces of the fluorocarbon polymer; (5) separating the cross-linked hydrophilic polymer-coated particles from the dispersion from step (4); (6) activating hydroxyl groups on the surface of the cross-linked hydrophilic polymer to provide for covalent bonding thereto of a ligand or ligand binder; and (7) covalently bonding a ligand or ligand binder to the activated hydroxyl groups on the surface of the hydrophilic polymer.