RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE DESIGN OF FUNCTIONALIZED POLYMERIC MICROSPHERES

This paper is a brief survey on the preparation of latexes bearing cov alently bonded functional groups using various routes. Recent methods are presented using water soluble functional (or surface active) initi ators, monomers or macromonomers. For tailor synthesis, the copolymeri sation approach of a basic monomer with a functional monomer under emu lsifier-free conditions is generally the more suitable and versatile o ne. More progress should be pursued in this field in order to design b etter adapted chemical structures which will improve their use in radi cal-initiated heterogeneous conditions and favour surface incorporatio n.