Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxyl and Acetal Latexes by Emulsion Polymerization. Application to the Production of Latex-Protein Complexes for Detecting Chagas Disease

GARCÍA, VALERIA S.; GONZALEZ, VERÓNICA D.G.; VEGA, JORGE R.; MARCIPAR, IVAN S.; GUGLIOTTA, LUIS M.

LATIN AMERICAN APPLIED RESEARCH

PLAPIQUI(UNS-CONICET)

Lugar: Bahia Blanca; Año: 2012

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.