U.S. patent application number 17/184276 was filed with the patent office on 2022-01-20 for method for producing porous microstructure.
The applicant listed for this patent is Tantti Laboratory Inc.. Invention is credited to Hui CHEN, Pang LIN, Min-Shyan SHEU, Shih-Yu WANG.
Application Number | 20220017662 17/184276 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005566225 |
Filed Date | 2022-01-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220017662 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WANG; Shih-Yu ; et
al. |
January 20, 2022 |
METHOD FOR PRODUCING POROUS MICROSTRUCTURE
Abstract
The invention relates to production of a porous microstructure
using the high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating
technology. The invented method involves subjecting an emulsion
prepared by emulsification of two immiscible phases to forced
sedimentation, such as subjecting the emulsion to centrifugation,
so as to increase the volume ratio of the dispersed phase to the
continuous phase to obtain a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE),
following by curing the continuous phase, whereby the porous
microstructure thus produced has an increased porosity.
Inventors: |
WANG; Shih-Yu; (Taoyuan
City, TW) ; CHEN; Hui; (Taoyuan City, TW) ;
LIN; Pang; (Taoyuan City, TW) ; SHEU; Min-Shyan;
(Taoyuan City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Tantti Laboratory Inc. |
Taoyuan City |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005566225 |
Appl. No.: |
17/184276 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C08F 12/08 20130101;
C08J 9/286 20130101; C08J 2325/06 20130101; C08J 2205/044
20130101 |
International
Class: |
C08F 12/08 20060101
C08F012/08; C08J 9/28 20060101 C08J009/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 17, 2020 |
TW |
109124248 |
Jan 6, 2021 |
TW |
110100498 |
Claims
1. A method for producing a porous microstructure comprising the
steps of: in the presence of a polymerization initiator and an
emulsion stabilizer, emulsifying a continuous phase composition
containing at least one monomer and a crosslinking agent with a
dispersed phase composition containing a solvent and an electrolyte
to obtain an emulsion containing a continuous phase and a dispersed
phase dispersed in the continuous phase; pre-polymerizing the at
least one monomer and the crosslinking agent, so that the at least
one monomer and the crosslinking agent are partially polymerized to
an extent that the emulsion has an increased viscosity while still
being flowable; subjecting the emulsion to a forced sedimentation
to increase a volume fraction of the dispersed phase relative to
the continuous phase in the emulsion to obtain a high internal
phase emulsion, wherein the dispersed phase has a volume fraction
of at least 74.05% (v/v) in the high internal phase emulsion, and
wherein the subjecting the emulsion to a forced sedimentation
comprises subjecting the emulsion to centrifugation and removing an
excess part of the continuous phase separated from the dispersed
phase; and curing the continuous phase in the high internal phase
emulsion and removing the dispersed phase to obtain the porous
microstructure.
2-4. (canceled)
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one
monomer is selected from the group consisting of ethylenically
unsaturated monomers and acetylenically unsaturated monomers.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one
monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acids,
acrylic acid esters, methacrylic acids, methacrylic acid esters,
acrylamides, methacrylamides, styrene and its derivatives, silanes,
pyrroles, divinylbenzene, 4-vinylbenzyl chloride, vinylpyridine,
and combinations thereof.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crosslinking agent
is an oil-soluble crosslinking agent selected from the group
consisting of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), polyethylene
glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA), ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA),
triethylene glycol diacrylate (TriEGDA) and divinylbenzene
(DVB).
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crosslinking agent
is a water-soluble crosslinking agent selected from the group
consisting of N,N-diallylacrylamide and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide
(MBAA).
9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emulsion
stabilizer is selected from nonionic surfactants.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the emulsion
stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of sorbitan
monolaurate, sorbitan tristearate, sorbitan monooleate, glycerol
monooleate, polyethylene glycol 200 dioleate,
polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymers, castor oil,
mono-ricinoleic acid glyceride, distearyl dimethyl ammonium
chloride and dioleyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.
11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emulsion further
comprises a polymerization promoter selected from the group
consisting of N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED),
N,N,N',N'',N''-pentamethyl diethylene triamine (PMDTA),
tris(2-dimethylamino) ethylamine,
1,1,4,7,10,10-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine, and
1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to R.O.C. Patent
Application No. 109124248 filed Jul. 17, 2020 and R.O.C. Patent
Application No. 110100498 filed Jan. 6, 2021, both of which are
hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a method for producing a porous
microstructure, and generally relates to use of the high internal
phase emulsion (HIPE) templating technology to prepare a porous
microstructure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] High internal phase emulsion templating is an emerging
technology for producing porous polymeric material. The so-called
"high internal phase emulsion" refers to an emulsion where an
internal phase (namely, a dispersed phase) of emulsified droplets
with a volume fraction of over 74.05% are dispersed in an external
phase. That is to say, the total volume fraction of the internal
phase exceeds the maximum space that monodispersed microspheres can
occupy in the emulsion. By virtue of polymerizing the external
phase (namely, the continuous phase) of the high internal phase
emulsion and then removing the internal phase, a polymerized high
internal phase emulsion (polyHIPE) with high porosity and
interconnected pores can be obtained. The porous material obtained
by the high internal phase emulsion templating technology has an
extremely large specific surface area and, therefore, is suitable
for use as matrices for substance separation, cell culture
scaffolds for tissue engineering, and support material for
immobilizing enzymes. The high internal phase emulsion templating
technology has the advantages of easy preparation, easy adjustment
of the pore size, and easy introduction into mass production. In
particular, when being used as a cell culture scaffold, the highly
porous material allows cells to infiltrate into the pores, so that
the cells, when cultured under agitation, can be well protected by
the porous material from damage by the shearing force. In the case
where the porous material serves as a substance separation matrix,
its high porosity is also beneficial to overcome the problems of
low mass transfer rate and excessive back pressure.
[0004] However, the high porosity of the porous microstructure may
bring about the disadvantage of a decreased mechanical strength.
Therefore, there is still a need in the art for a method that can
produce a porous microstructure with increased porosity without
substantially reducing its mechanical strength.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The invention involves emulsifying two immiscible phases to
obtain an emulsion, and subjecting the emulsion to a forced
sedimentation, such as subjecting the emulsion to centrifugation,
to increase a volume fraction of the dispersed phase relative to
the continuous phase in the emulsion to obtain a high internal
phase emulsion (HIPE), and then curing the continuous phase in the
high internal phase emulsion, thereby increasing the porosity of
the porous microstructure produced.
[0006] In an aspect provided herein is a method for producing a
porous microstructure comprising the steps of:
[0007] in the presence of a polymerization initiator and an
emulsion stabilizer, emulsifying a continuous phase composition
containing at least one monomer and a crosslinking agent with a
dispersed phase composition containing a solvent and an electrolyte
to obtain an emulsion containing a continuous phase and a dispersed
phase dispersed in the continuous phase;
[0008] subjecting the emulsion to a forced sedimentation to
increase a volume fraction of the dispersed phase relative to the
continuous phase in the emulsion to obtain a high internal phase
emulsion; and
[0009] curing the continuous phase in the high internal phase
emulsion to obtain the porous microstructure.
[0010] In one preferred embodiment, the dispersed phase has a
volume fraction of at least 74.05% (v/v) in the high internal phase
emulsion.
[0011] In one preferred embodiment, the step of subjecting the
emulsion to a forced sedimentation comprises subjecting the
emulsion to centrifugation and removing an excess part of the
continuous phase separated from the dispersed phase. In a more
preferred embodiment, the inventive method further comprises, prior
to the step of forced sedimentation, a step of pre-polymerizing the
at least one monomer and the crosslinking agent, so that the at
least one monomer and the crosslinking agent are partially
polymerized to an extent that the emulsion has an increased
viscosity while still being flowable in the step of forced
sedimentation.
[0012] In one preferred embodiment, the at least one monomer is
selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated
monomers and acetylenically unsaturated monomers. In a more
preferred embodiment, the at least one monomer is selected from the
group consisting of acrylic acids, acrylic acid esters, methacrylic
acids, methacrylic acid esters, acrylamides, methacrylamides,
styrene and its derivatives, silanes, pyrroles, divinylbenzene,
4-vinylbenzyl chloride, vinylpyridine, and combinations
thereof.
[0013] In one preferred embodiment, the crosslinking agent is an
oil-soluble crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting
of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), polyethylene glycol
dimethacrylate (PEGDMA), ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA),
triethylene glycol diacrylate (TriEGDA) and divinylbenzene (DVB).
In another preferred embodiment, the crosslinking agent is a
water-soluble crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting
of N,N-diallylacrylamide and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide
(MBAA).
[0014] In preferred embodiments, the emulsion stabilizer is
selected from nonionic surfactants. In more preferred embodiments,
the emulsion stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of
polyoxyethylated alkylphenols, polyoxyethylated alkanols,
polyoxyethylated polypropylene glycols, polyoxyethylated
mercaptans, long-chain carboxylic acid esters, alkanolamine
condensates, quaternary acetylenic glycols, polyoxyethylene
polysiloxanes, N-alkylpyrrolidones, fluorocarbon liquids and alkyl
polyglycosides. In even more preferred embodiments, the emulsion
stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of sorbitan
monolaurate, sorbitan tristearate, sorbitan monooleate, glycerol
monooleate, polyethylene glycol 200 dioleate,
polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymers, castor oil,
mono-ricinoleic acid glyceride, distearyl dimethyl ammonium
chloride and dioleyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.
[0015] In preferred embodiments, the emulsion further comprises an
promoter selected from the group consisting of
N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED),
N,N,N',N'',N''-pentamethyl diethylene triamine (PMDTA),
tris(2-dimethylamino) ethylamine,
1,1,4,7,10,10-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine, and
1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane. In more
preferred embodiments, the promoter is selected from
N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED).
[0016] In one preferred embodiment, the dispersed phase composition
further comprises an electrolyte.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The above and other objects, features and effects of the
invention will become apparent with reference to the following
description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for producing a porous
microstructure according to the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an electron microscopic image of a porous
microstructure produced according to one embodiment of the
invention;
[0020] FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) show the compression ratios of emulsions
subjected to different intensities of centrifugal force for a fixed
duration, and the porosity values of the porous microstructures
produced therefrom;
[0021] FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) show the compression ratios of emulsions
subjected to a fixed centrifugal force for different duration
times, and the porosity values of the porous microstructures
produced therefrom; and
[0022] FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) show the minimum interpore diameters of
the porous microstructures produced from emulsions under different
intensities of centrifugal force and/or for different centrifugal
times.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Unless specified otherwise, the following terms as used in
the specification and appended claims are given the following
definitions. It should be noted that the indefinite article "a" or
"an" as used in the specification and claims is intended to mean
one or more than one, such as "at least one," "at least two," or
"at least three," and does not merely refer to a singular one. In
addition, the terms "comprising/comprises," "including/includes"
and "having/has" as used in the claims are open languages and do
not exclude unrecited elements. The term "or" generally covers
"and/or", unless otherwise specified. The terms "about" and
"substantially" used throughout the specification and appended
claims are used to describe and account for small fluctuations or
slight changes that do not materially affect the nature of the
invention.
[0024] The invention provides a method for producing a porous
microstructure. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the
invented method comprises the steps of: emulsifying a continuous
phase composition with a dispersed phase composition to obtain an
emulsion; subjecting the emulsion to a forced sedimentation to
obtain a high internal phase emulsion; and curing the high internal
phase emulsion to obtain the porous microstructure.
[0025] The term "high internal phase emulsion", or abbreviated as
"HIPE", is used herein to refer to an emulsion of a continuous
phase (i.e., external phase) and a dispersed phase (i.e., internal
phase) immiscible with the continuous phase, preferably a
water-in-oil emulsion or an oil-in-water emulsion, wherein the
dispersed phase has a volume fraction of more than 74.05% (v/v) in
the emulsion, i.e., the maximum space occupiable by uniform spheres
in a closest packing arrangement, which can even be as high as
75-90% (v/v). As used herein, the term "continuous phase" may refer
to a phase constituted by one material which is contiguous
throughout the emulsion. The term "dispersed phase" may refer to a
phase constituted by mutually separated units of a composition
material dispersed in the continuous phase, while each and every
unit in the dispersed phase is surrounded by the continuous phase.
According to the invention, the continuous phase is usually the one
in which polymerization occurs and may comprise at least one
monomer, a crosslinking agent, and optionally an initiator and an
emulsion stabilizer, whereas the dispersed phase may comprise a
solvent and an electrolyte.
[0026] The at least one monomer is meant to encompass any monomers
and oligomers that are capable of forming a polymer through
polymerization. In one preferred embodiment, the at least one
monomer comprises at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer or
acetylenically unsaturated monomer suitable for free radical
polymerization, namely, organic monomers with carbon-to-carbon
double bonds or triple bonds, which include but are not limited to
acrylic acids and the esters thereof, such as hydroxyethyl
acrylate; methacrylic acids and the esters thereof, such as
glycerol methacrylate (GMA), hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA),
methyl methacrylate (MMA); acrylamides; methacrylamides; styrene
and its derivatives, such as chloromethylstyrene, divinylbenzene
(DVB), styrene sulfonate; silanes, such as dichlorodimethylsilane;
pyrroles; vinylpyridine; and combinations thereof.
[0027] The term "crosslinking agent" as used therein may refer to a
reagent that chemically bridges the polymer chains formed by
polymerization of the at least one monomer. In one preferred
embodiment, the "crosslinking agent" is a crosslinking monomer
which can be dissolved along with the at least one monomer in the
continuous phase and usually has multiple functional groups to
enable the formation of covalent bonds between the polymer chains
of the at least one monomer. Suitable crosslinking agents are well
known in the art and can be selected depending upon the type of the
at least one monomer, which include but are not limited to
oil-soluble crosslinking agents, such as ethylene glycol
dimethacrylate (EGDMA), polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate
(PEGDMA), ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA), triethylene glycol
diacrylate (TriEGDA), divinylbenzene (DVB); and water-soluble
crosslinking agents, such as N,N-diallylacrylamide,
N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA). As known to those having
ordinary skill in the art, the amount of the crosslinking agent
used is positively correlated to the mechanical strength of the
porous microstructure produced, that is, the higher the degree of
crosslinking, the higher the mechanical strength of the porous
microstructure. Preferably, the crosslinking agent is present in an
amount about 5 to 50% by weight, such as in an amount about 5 to
25% by weight, of the continuous phase.
[0028] In addition to the monomer and the crosslinking agent, the
continuous phase may optionally comprise other substances to modify
the physical and/or chemical properties of the porous
microstructure produced. Examples of these substances include, but
are not limited to, magnetic metal particles, such as
Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 particles; polysaccharides, such as cellulose,
dextrans, agarose, agar, alginates; inorganic materials, such as
silica; and graphene. For example, adding Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 particles
may increase the mechanical strength of the porous microstructure
and impart the porous microstructure with ferromagnetism.
[0029] The term "emulsion stabilizer" as used herein may refer to a
surface-active agent suitable for stabilizing a high internal phase
emulsion and preventing the droplet units of the dispersed phase
from coalescence. The emulsion stabilizer can be added to the
continuous phase composition or the dispersed phase composition
prior to preparing the emulsion. The emulsion stabilizer suitable
for use herein may be a nonionic surfactant, or an anionic or a
cationic surfactant. In the embodiment where the high internal
phase emulsion is a water-in-oil emulsion, the emulsion stabilizer
preferably has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of 3 to 14,
and more preferably has a HLB of 4 to 6. In preferred embodiments,
a non-ionic surfactant is used herein as the emulsion stabilizer,
and the useful types thereof include, but are not limited to
polyoxyethylated alkylphenols, polyoxyethylated alkanols,
polyoxyethylated polypropylene glycols, polyoxyethylated
mercaptans, long-chain carboxylic acid esters, alkanolamine
condensates, quaternary acetylenic glycols, polyoxyethylene
polysiloxanes, N-alkylpyrrolidones, fluorocarbon liquids and alkyl
polyglycosides. Specific examples of the emulsion stabilizer
include, but are not limited to sorbitan monolaurate (trade name
Span.RTM.20), sorbitan tristearate (trade name Span.RTM.65),
sorbitan monooleate (trade name Span.RTM. 80), glycerol monooleate,
polyethylene glycol 200 dioleate, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene
block copolymers (such as Pluronic.RTM. F-68, Pluronic.RTM. F-127,
Pluronic.RTM. L-121, Pluronic.RTM. P-123), castor oil,
mono-ricinoleic acid glyceride, distearyl dimethyl ammonium
chloride, and dioleyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.
[0030] The term "initiator" may refer to a reagent capable of
initiating polymerization and/or crosslinking reaction of the at
least one monomer and/or the crosslinking agent. Preferably, the
initiator used herein is a thermal initiator which is an initiator
capable of initiating the polymerization and/or crosslinking
reaction upon receiving heat. The initiator can be added to the
continuous phase composition or the dispersed phase composition
before preparing the high internal phase emulsion. According to the
invention, the initiators which may be added to the continuous
phase composition include, but are not limited to
azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), azobisisoheptonitrile (ABVN),
azobisisovaleronitrile, 2,2-Bis
[4,4-bis(tert-butylperoxy)cyclohexyl]propane, and benzyl peroxide
(BPO), whereas the initiators which may be added to the dispersed
phase composition include, but are not limited to persulfates, such
as ammonium persulfate and potassium persulfate. The high internal
phase emulsion herein may further include a photoinitiator which
can be activated by ultraviolet light or visible light to initiate
the polymerization and/or crosslinking reaction and, alternatively,
a suitable photoinitiator may be used to replace the thermal
initiator.
[0031] The dispersed phase mainly includes a solvent. The solvent
can be any liquid that is immiscible with the continuous phase. In
the embodiment where the continuous phase is highly hydrophobic,
the solvent may include, but be not limited to water, fluorocarbon
liquids and other organic solvents that are immiscible with the
continuous phase. Preferably, the solvent is water. In this
embodiment, the dispersed phase may further include an electrolyte
which can substantially dissociate free ions in the solvent and
includes salts, acids, and bases that are soluble in the solvent.
Preferably, the electrolyte may be an alkali metal sulfate, such as
potassium sulfate, or an alkali metal or alkaline-earth metal
chloride salt, such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and
magnesium chloride. In the embodiment where the continuous phase is
highly hydrophilic, the solvent may be selected from cyclohexane,
hexane, heptane and octane. The dispersed phase may further contain
one or more solutes, such as water-soluble non-ionic solutes,
including carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, alkanols and
phenols.
[0032] The high internal phase emulsion may be added with a
polymerization promoter. The term "promoter" may refer to a reagent
capable of accelerating polymerization and/or crosslinking reaction
of the at least one monomer and/or the crosslinking agent. Typical
examples of the promoter include, but are not limited to,
N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED),
N,N,N',N'',N''-pentamethyl diethylene triamine (PMDTA),
tris(2-dimethylamino) ethylamine,
1,1,4,7,10,10-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine,
1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, which can
promote the initiator, such as ammonium persulfate, to decompose
into free radicals, thereby accelerating the polymerization and/or
crosslinking reaction. Preferably, the promoter may be added in an
amount of 10-100 mole % with respect to the added amount of the
initiator.
[0033] The process of obtaining an emulsion through emulsification
is known in the art, which generally involves uniformly mixing the
at least one monomer with the crosslinking agent to form a
continuous phase composition, and uniformly mixing the solvents
with the electrolyte to form a dispersed phase composition.
Subsequently, the continuous phase composition and the dispersed
phase composition are mixed with agitation in a predetermined
ratio, such as in a volume ratio of 5:95 to 40:60, so as to make
the dispersed phase evenly dispersed in the continuous phase. In
one preferred embodiment, the dispersed phase composition may be
slowly added dropwise to the continuous phase composition, while
being vigorously agitated to form an emulsion. In another preferred
embodiment, an entire batch of the dispersed phase composition is
directly added to the continuous phase composition at one time,
while being vigorously agitated to form an emulsion. In the
preferred embodiment where the dispersed phase composition is added
in a single batch, a high-speed homogenizer may be used to
vigorously stir and, therefore, apply a high shearing force to the
emulsion, so that the separated units of the dispersed phase could
have a uniform size. As well known in the art, the size and
uniformity of the separated units of the dispersed phase may be
adjusted by changing parameters such as the volume fraction of the
dispersed phase relative to the continuous phase, the feeding rate
of the dispersed phase composition, the type and concentration of
the emulsion stabilizer, and the agitation rate and the
temperature.
[0034] In the emulsion obtained by the emulsification step
described above, the volume fraction occupied by the dispersed
phase can be either higher than 74.05% (v/v) whereby the emulsion
has a high internal phase, or lower than 74.05% (v/v) which will
not result in a HIPE. According to the invention, no matter whether
the emulsion prepared in the emulsification step has a high
internal phase, the volume fraction of the dispersed phase relative
to the continuous phase can be increased by subjecting the emulsion
to a forced sedimentation to obtain a HIPE. The term "forced
sedimentation" may refer to separation of a portion of the
continuous phase composition from the dispersed phase composition
based on a difference therebetween rather than gravity by applying
an additional physical or chemical force to the emulsion, such as
centrifugal force, pressure, electric power, magnetic force,
ultrasonic vibration. Therefore, the technical means to achieve the
forced sedimentation is intended to encompass centrifugation,
pressurization, ultrasonic vibration and so on, and centrifugation
is particularly preferred. Centrifugation enables a partial
separation of the continuous phase composition from the dispersed
phase composition in light of the density difference therebetween.
This technical means allows the emulsion to have an expected
two-phase volume ratio in a local region, while the rest is purely
the continuous phase. After the latter is removed, a HIPE with an
increased volume ratio of the dispersed phase to the continuous
phase is obtained. For example, when the dispersed phase
composition has a higher density than the continuous phase
composition, the dispersed phase composition is forced to sediment
towards a lower end of a centrifuge tube during centrifugation,
while the continuous phase composition remains at an upper end of
the centrifuge tube. Thus, a HIPE with an increased volume ratio of
the dispersed phase to the continuous phase can be collected at the
lower end of the centrifuge tube. Alternatively, if the dispersed
phase composition has a lower density than the continuous phase
composition, a HIPE can be collected at the upper end of the
centrifuge tube. According to the invention, the intensity of the
centrifugal force and the duration of centrifugation are
determinant in the degree of the porosity of the porous
microstructure produced. As shown in Examples 1-4 below, the
stronger the centrifugal force exerted or the longer the
centrifugal force applied, the higher the porosity of the porous
microstructure produced. In the embodiment where styrene and
divinylbenzene (DVB) are used as main components of the continuous
phase composition and water is used as a main component of the
dispersed phase composition, the centrifugal force applied to the
emulsion is preferably within a range of 50 to 500.times.g. Without
wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is believed that
centrifugation can increase the volume ratio of the dispersed phase
relative to the continuous phase in the emulsion, resulting in an
increase in contact areas of adjacent separated units of the
dispersed phase. As these contact areas will be converted into
interpores in the subsequent vacuum drying step, the increased
contact areas will lead to an increase in the number and size of
the interpores, thereby enhancing the porosity of the porous
microstructure.
[0035] Prior to the forced sedimentation, the emulsified emulsion
may be briefly subjected to heat and/or exposed to light with an
appropriate wavelength and/or be added with a small amount of the
promoter, thereby pre-polymerizing a portion of the continuous
phase composition, i.e., allowing a portion of the at least one
monomer and/or the crosslinking agent to be pre-polymerized. The
degree of the pre-polymerization can be controlled either by
allowing the continuous phase composition to receive a small
portion of the total amount of heat or light needed to complete the
polymerization and crosslinking reaction, preferably 5% to 50% of
the total amount of heat or light, such as 10% to 20% of the total
amount of heat or light, or by adding a small portion of the total
amount of the promoter needed to complete the reaction of the
continuous phase composition, preferably 5% to 50% of a total
amount of the added promoter, such as 10% to 20% of the total
amount of the added promoter, to enable 5% to 50% of the continuous
phase composition, such as 10% to 20% of the continuous phase
composition, to undergo polymerization and/or crosslinking
reaction, so that the emulsion has an increased viscosity while
still being flowable in the step of forced sedimentation. Suitable
heating/irradiation duration and suitable amount of the promoter
can be determined with reference to the prior art, and adjusted
according to the molar ratio of the at least one monomer to the
crosslinking agent in the continuous phase composition. During the
pre-polymerization step, the promoter can be added all at once or
added gradually. The term "added gradually" as used herein may mean
that the promoter is divided into aliquots and added sequentially
over a predetermined period of time. When adding the promoter, the
emulsion may be stirred at a gentle rate to mix the promoter
uniformly in the emulsion.
[0036] Application of the centrifugal force may cause coalescence
of the dispersed phase, which may in turn cause adjacent units of
the dispersed phase to merge and form new units with larger
volumes, resulting in excessively large inner pores in the produced
porous microstructure and a reduced mechanical strength of the
porous microstructure. The inventors found that when the emulsion
is pre-polymerized before undergoing the forced sedimentation, the
coalescence of the dispersed phase can be suppressed. Without
wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that
the pre-polymerization step would help stabilize the emulsion
against coalescence caused by the centrifugal force.
[0037] In the HIPE produced according to the method stated above,
the dispersed phase is spontaneously formed into droplets that are
roughly spherical and uniformly dispersed in the continuous phase.
The HIPE may be further subjected to heat, and/or exposed to light
with an appropriate wavelength, or added with a promoter, so as to
allow the at least one monomer and/or the crosslinking agent to
complete polymerization and/or crosslinking reaction, whereby the
HIPE is cured into a shaped mass. The term "cure" or "curing" as
used herein may refer to a process of converting the HIPE into a
structure with a stable free-standing configuration. The dispersed
phase is removed afterwards from the cured HIPE. In the embodiment
where the HIPE is a water-in-oil emulsion, the cured HIPE may be
dried directly, preferably dried under vacuum, to thereby
facilitate rupturing the droplets of the dispersed phase to
generate the interpores. FIG. 2 shows the porous microstructure
produced after drying, in which the voids left by removal of the
dispersed phase become the inner pores of the porous
microstructure, and the adjacent inner pores are communicated with
one another by one or more interpores.
[0038] The porous microstructure produced according to the method
disclosed herein has an extremely large specific surface area and
possesses spherical inner pores with a diameter of about 1 micron
to 150 microns, and multiple interpores with a diameter of about
500 nanometers to 25 microns communicating with the inner pores.
The porous microstructure herein may be subjected to additional
processing steps to manufacture various commercial products. In one
preferred embodiment, the porous microstructure herein may undergo
conventional processes such as cutting and packaging, followed by
appropriate chemical modification and surface functionalization, to
form a monolithic column for use as a stationary phase material for
chromatographic separation. The term "monolithic column" as used
herein may include a continuous medium composed of the porous
microstructure. In another preferred embodiment, the porous
microstructure herein may be used as a cell culture scaffold
serving to imitate an extracellular matrix, on which cells may be
inoculated and then attach and proliferate.
[0039] The following examples are given for the purpose of
illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the
invention.
[0040] Preparation of Porous Microstructures
[0041] 0.4 grams of styrene (Acros Organics B.V.B.A.), 0.1 grams of
divinylbenzene (DVB; Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, USA), 0.02 grams of
azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN; Uniregion Bio-Tech Inc.) and 0.12
grams of sorbitan monooleate (trade name Span.RTM.80; Emperor
Chemical Co., Ltd.) were mixed with ultrasonic vibration to prepare
a continuous phase composition. 1.0 grams of deionized water was
then added to the continuous phase composition, and a water-in-oil
emulsion was prepared by vigorous stirring using a high-speed
homogenizer (model T25; IKA, Germany). Equal aliquots of the
emulsion were placed in 15 mL cylindrical centrifuge tubes
(Guangzhou Jet Bio-Filtration Co., Ltd.), and centrifuged in a
centrifuge (Thermo Sorvall X4R Pro; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.,
USA) for the duration times and at the centrifugal rates listed in
Table 1. After the centrifugation, the emulsions were placed in an
oven (model DENG YNG D060) and heated at 70.degree. C. for 9 hours
to complete polymerization. The polystyrene porous microstructures
thus obtained were rinsed with ethanol, thereby removing unreacted
styrene monomers, DVB monomers and sorbitan monooleate. The porous
microstructures were then placed in an oven (model DENG YNG D060)
and dried at 50.degree. C. under vacuum for 12 hours to obtain
dried porous microstructures.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Centrifugal rate (rpm) Duration (min.)
Comparative example 1 300 5 Example 1 500 5 Example 2 500 7 Example
3 500 9 Example 4 750 5 Comparative example 2 1000 5 Comparative
example 3 3200 5
[0042] Characterization of Porous Microstructures
[0043] The porosity of a porous microstructure is defined herein as
a percentage of the pore volume relative to the total volume of the
microstructure. The porosity values of the porous microstructures
produced in Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-3 were
calculated with the following formula:
1-[(weight of the porous microstructure/density of the continuous
phase)/apparent volume of the porous microstructure]
Alternatively, porosity may be determined by taking cross-sectional
images of the porous microstructures using a scanning electron
microscope (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Phenom Pro), and then
calculating the porosity using ImageJ software (National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Md., USA). The compression ratio of a HIPE is
defined as the percentage of the final height of the dispersed
phase of the HIPE in the centrifuge tube after centrifugation
relative to its initial height in the centrifuge tube before
centrifugation. The minimum interpore diameter of a porous
microstructure was measured by capillary flow porometry (PMI Porous
Materials Inc., CFP-1100AE), and the mechanical strength was
evaluated by pinching individual porous microstructures with bare
hands to check whether they are easy to break. Measured results are
shown in Table 2 below.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Mechanical Compression ratio (%) Porosity
(%) Strength Comparative 4.5 71.01 Sufficient example 1 Example 1
13.4 81.33 Sufficient Example 2 15.8 81.80 Sufficient Example 3
17.0 83.75 Sufficient Example 4 20.0 84.04 Sufficient Comparative
20.1 87.25 Fragile example 2 Comparative 20.4 90.18 Fragile example
3
[0044] As shown in Table 1, Examples 1, 4 and Comparative Examples
1-3 involve subjecting the HIPE to different intensities of
centrifugal force for a fixed duration (5 minutes). As shown in
Table 2 and FIGS. 3(a), 3(b), the greater the centrifugal force
applied for the fixed duration, the higher the compression ratio of
the HIPE, and the higher the porosity of the porous microstructure
produced. However, if the centrifugal force applied is too large,
such as centrifuged at a rate of more than 1000 rpm, the porous
microstructure produced would be easily broken by pinching with
bare hands, indicating that its mechanical strength is considerably
reduced.
[0045] Furthermore, Examples 1-3 involve subjecting the HIPE to a
fixed centrifugal force for different duration times. As shown in
Table 2 and FIGS. 4(a), 4(b), the longer the time under the fixed
centrifugal force, the higher the compression ratio of the HIPE,
and the higher the porosity of the porous microstructure
produced.
[0046] FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) further show that the greater the
centrifugal force applied to the HIPE or the longer the centrifugal
duration the HIPE experiences, the bigger the diameter of the
interpores in the porous microstructure produced.
[0047] While the invention has been described with reference to the
preferred embodiments above, it should be recognized that the
preferred embodiments are given for the purpose of illustration
only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
invention and that various modifications and changes, which will be
apparent to those skilled in the relevant art, may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *