Sustainable Flow Synthesis of Encoded Beads for Combinatorial Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Monosized beads of polar resins were synthesized for combinatorial chemistry and chemical biology by sustainable microchannel flow synthesis. Regular, biocompatible, and optically encoded beads could be efficiently prepared on large scale and in high yield. In a preparative flow polymerization instrument, taking advantage of a designed T-connector for droplet formation, quality beads were synthesized with accurate size control using a minimal amount of recirculating silicon oil as suspension medium. Bead-size was controlled through shear imposed by the silicon oil flow rate. This process provided 86% yield of ∼500 μm macrobeads beads within a 20 μm size range with no deformities or vacuoles, ideally suited for combinatorial chemistry and protein binding studies. The simple flow equipment consisted of a syringe pump for monomer and initiator delivery, a T-connector, a gear pump for oil recirculation, a long, heated coil of Teflon tubing and a collector syringe. The method was used for preparation of PEGA₁₉₀₀ beads, optically encoded with fluorescent microparticles. The microparticle matrix (MPM) encoded beads were tested in a MPM-decoder showing excellent recognition in bead decoding.