Synthesis and characterization of carboxyl and acetal latexes by emulsion polymerization. Application to the production of latex-protein complexes for detecting chagas disease

V.S. GARCIA; V.D.G. GONZALEZ; J. R. VEGA; I.S. MARCIPAR; L.M. GUGLIOTTA

LATIN AMERICAN APPLIED RESEARCH

PLAPIQUI(UNS-CONICET)

Lugar: Bahia Blanca; Año: 2012 vol. 42

0327-0793

Monodisperse polymer particles with carboxyl and acetal functionalities were synthesized through a two step emulsion polymerization process. In the first step, latex particles were synthesized by batch emulsion polymerization of styrene (St); and in the second step, the functional monomers (methacrylic acid or acrolein diethyl acetal) were copolymerized with St onto the previously formed polystyrene particles. The synthesized core-shell latexes were used as support for their sensitization (by covalent coupling) with two antigenic recombinant proteins of Trypanosoma cruzi (RP1 and CP1). Polymer latexes and latex protein complexes were characterized by measuring their colloidal stability, average particle size, shell thickness and protein thickness through conductimetric titration, dynamic light scattering, turbidimetry and scanning electron microscopy.