Three-Dimensional Test Materials for Solid Supports

Since 1990, Prime Synthesis, Inc. (PSI) has been a leading manufacturer of controlled pore glass (CPG). It has developed significant expertise in the optimization of physical characteristics and chemical modifications of CPG for a variety of applications. CPG has a unique combination of attributes including a very uniform, three-dimensional, nanopore structure that is dimensionally stable in organic solvents and has excellent mass transfer characteristics. It is also very rigid for good mechanical stability, and its manufacture is highly scalable. However, due to its surface chemistry, the density and distribution of sites for chemical attachment can limit its applications. PSI has developed a novel next generation oligonucleotide synthesis support (HybridCPG), based on a nano-thick coated CPG, that has dramatically improved chemical loading capabilities, but retains CPG’s other favorable characteristics. A series of HybridCPG samples with varying pore sizes and derivitized with suitable molecules or nano-particles would serve as excellent standard materials for the proposed NIST characterization, and are well within the technical capabilities of PSI. The proposed structural studies would be of great value in developing a family of HybridCPG products that could dramatically reduce the manufacturing costs of several important classes of advanced pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals.