Zhiya Ma

Preparation and characterization of superparamagnetic functional polymeric microparticles

Abstract Superparamagnetic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-glycidyl methacrylate) (Pst-DVB-GMA) microparticles were prepared via a modified suspension polymerization process. A magnetic fluid was first prepared by a chemical co-precipitation method. Then magnetic microparticles were produced by mixing the monomers and the magnetic fluid with water in the presence of a stabilizer poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) to form a suspension, and finally benzoyl peroxide was added to initiate the co-polymerization. The morphology and magnetic properties of the microparticles were examined by TEM and VSM. The spherically shaped microparticles, with a size range of 4 to 7 μm, showed distinct superparamagnetic characteristics. XRD was used to investigate the structure of the magnetite particles dispersed in the polymer matrix. The microparticles with epoxy groups on their surface can be applied directly to the separation of biomolecules.