Monodisperse porous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) particles are widely applied in different fields, as their pore properties can be influenced and functionalization of the epoxy group is versatile. However, the adjustment of parameters which control morphology and pore properties such as pore volume, pore size and specific surface area is scarcely available. In this work, the effects of the process factors monomer:porogen ratio, GMA:EDMA ratio and composition of the porogen mixture on the response variables pore volume, pore size and specific surface area are investigated using a face centered central composite design. Non-linear effects of the process factors and second order interaction effects between them were identified. Despite the complex interplay of the process factors, targeted control of the pore properties was possible. For each response a response surface model was derived with high predictive power (all R2predicted > 0.85). All models were tested by four external validation experiments and their validity and predictive power was demonstrated.
Keywords: design of experiment; monodisperse; morphology; p(GMA-co-EDMA); particles; pores; porous microspheres; process optimization; seed swelling polymerization.