Monodisperse microspheres of copolymers of glycidyl methacrylate and its derivatives as materials for biomedical application

Monodisperse microspheres of copolymers of glycidyl methacrylate were prepared by dispersion polymerization in organic media. The microsphere diameter could be adjusted in the range from 0$md$5 μm to 5μm by changing the monomer concentration, the type of dispersion medium and the content of the comonomers. Terpolymers of glycidyl methacrylate, 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate and tri(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate were analysed by thermal decomposition gas chromatography and the compositions of the polymers agreed well with those of the monomer mixtures. The epoxide of the polymer microspheres was hydrolysed to α,β‐diol with dilute sulphuric acid without side reactions except the slight formation of sulphate. It was confirmed by the 13 CFT‐NMR spectrum that the main structure of the hydrolysate was that of poly(glyceryl methacrylate). In the reaction of the epoxide with ammonia, the predominant production of tertiary amine was presumed by the relationship between the conversion of the epoxide and the nitrogen content of the reaction product. The amination of the epoxide with secondary amines resulted in the quantitative formation of the corresponding tertiary amines.