SYNTHESIS OF ANION-EXCHANGE ADSORBENT PARTICLES BY SURFACE FUNCTIONALIZATION OF POLYSTYRENE DIVINYLBENZENE BASED SPHERICAL POROUS MATRICES

The replacement of Br- by trimethylamine for the synthesis of anion ex change adsorbent particles by surface functionalization of polystyrene -divinylbenzene based spherical porous particles was studied experimen tally and theoretically. The calculated values of the kinetic paramete rs indicate that the net rate of the replacement of Br- by trimethylam ine is dominated by the kinetic mechanism involving the formation and opening of an epoxide, [GRAPHICS] where P represents the polymeric bac kbone. The theoretical results obtained from the solution of the equat ions of the mathematical model that describes the dynamic behavior of the kinetic mechanisms, clearly indicate that the highest concentratio n of the desired product, [GRAPHICS] on the surface of the pores of th e particles, is obtained when the initial concentration of trimethylam ine is highest. The equilibrium adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BS A) into the anion exchange adsorbent particles produced in this work w as also studied, and the results indicate that the maximum value of th e concentration of BSA in the adsorbed phase is a weak function of the concentration of the desired product, [GRAPHICS] on the surface of th e pores of the particles.