| Abstract: | ![]()
In this article, we report an efficient method for the synthesis of thymine‐functionalized polystyrene microspheres. First, poly(styrene‐co‐4‐chloromethylstyrene) copolymers slightly crosslinked with divinylbenzene were synthesized in batch free‐radical emulsion copolymerization. Microspheres with a particle size of ～40–70 nm were obtained with greater than 99% conversion. The chloromethylstyrene (CMS) groups were then converted into thymylmethylstyrene (TMS) in a two‐phase system with greater than 80% efficiency, and up to a 45 mol % thymine loading was achieved. The functionalized microspheres were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The analyses revealed partial hydrolysis of the CMS functionalities, yielding hydroxymethyl functional groups in addition to the thymine functionalities. These copolymers have potential applications in biotechnology. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5545–5553, 2005 |
