In recent years, a newly emerging polymer-based MONOLITH material (also known as the monolithic column, continuous bed) has been developed rapidly and it has already been utilized widely in various fields. Due to its unique three-dimensional continuous interconnected porous structure in a single piece, polymer-based MONOLITH has attracted more and more attention and it is regarded as one of the major breakthroughs in separation and filtration techniques. Compared with silica-based MONOLITH material, polymer-based MONOLITH material has the advantages of simple preparation process, good biocompatibility, high chemical stability and easy regulation of surface chemical properties. Therefore, polymer-based MONOLITH has always done a better job as a stationary phase of affinity chromatography for separating and analyzing biological macromolecules. In this review, the preparation techniques and the newest development of the polymer-based MONOLITH material are summarized. In addition, its application as stationary phase of affinity chromatography for the separation of biological macromolecules in the last 5 years is described.
Contents
1 Introduction
2 Preparation techniques of the polymer-based MONOLITH materials
2.1 Free radical polymerization
2.2 Controlled/living radical polymerization
2.3 Polymerized high internal phase emulsions
2.4 Condensation polymerization
2.5 Cryogels
2.6 Other methods
3 Application of the polymer-based MONOLITH materials in separation of biomolecules by affinity chromatography
3.1 Bioaffinity chromatography
3.2 Immunoaffinity chromatography
3.3 Dye affinity chromatography
3.4 Boronate affinity chromatography
3.5 Immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography
3.6 Pseudo affinity chromatography
4 Conclusion