Synthesis of Monodisperse Polystyrene Microspheres for Liquid Biochips

An optimized method for the synthesis of monodisperse polystyrene microspheres for liquid biochips is presented.Micron-sized monodisperse polystyrene microspheres were prepared by using styrene(St),2,2′-azo-bisisobutyronitrile(AIBN),poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)(PVP),ethanol/water as the monomer,initiator,stabilizer,and the media,respectively through dispersion polymerization.The effects of different concentrations of St,AIBN and PVP on particle size and size distribution were discussed.Monodisperse polystyrene microspheres(polydispersity index,PDI=1.021) with the mean size of 2.2 μm diameter and smooth surface were obtained.The prepared microspheres are of good characteristics to be applied for the sensing unit carriers of the liquid biochips.