Polymeric particles are increasingly being used as components in separation techniques and to assist with detecting analytes in both chemical and biological systems. For example, polymeric particles have been used in chromatographic techniques to separate target molecules from a solution. In another example, polymeric particles having a magnetic coating are utilized in magnetic separation techniques. More recently, polymeric particles have been used to enhance ELISA-type techniques and can be used to capture polynucleotides.
Many such techniques and uses of particles rely on functionalizing the polymer. However, functionalizing the polymer presents challenges relating to control of the number of sites having the desired functionality and access through the polymer network to the sites to be functionalized.
As such, an improved polymeric particle and method for manufacturing such a polymeric particle would be desirable.