[13] Polyacrolein Microspheres

This chapter focuses on polyacrolein (PA) microspheres. PA microspheres are prepared by aqueous polymerization of acrolein in the presence of an appropriate surfactant. The procedure for the formation of alkaline polymerized microspheres is detailed. PA microspheres with fluorescent or magnetic properties are synthesized by carrying out the polymerization procedures in the presence of appropriate fluorochromic or ferrofluidic compounds, respectively. The PA microspheres covalently bind through their aldehyde groups various amino ligands, for example, proteins, drugs, enzymes, and antibodies, to form the Schiff base products. Agarose-Polyacrolein Microsphere Beads (APAMB) is prepared by encapsulating PA microspheres of approximately 0.15 μm diameter within an agarose matrix. Several applications of the PA microspheres are discussed. The potential use of the “naked” and the encapsulated microspheres is presented. PA microspheres are used in many other clinical applications such as diagnostic tests, phagocytosis, drug delivery, and enzyme immobilization.