CROSSLINKED POLYFLUOROACRYLIC ACID AND PROCESSES FOR THE PREPARATION THEREOF

1 . A crosslinked cation exchange polymer comprising a reaction product of a polymerization mixture comprising three or more monomers, the monomers corresponding to Formula 11, Formula 22, and Formula 33;

wherein

(i) the monomers corresponding to Formula 11 constitute at least about 85 wt. % based on the total weight of monomers of Formulae 11, 22, and 33 in the polymerization mixture, and the weight ratio of the monomer corresponding to Formula 22 to the monomer corresponding to Formula 33 is from about 4:1 to about 1:4, or

(ii) the mole fraction of the monomer of Formula 11 in the polymerization mixture is at least about 0.87 based on the total number of moles of the monomers of Formulae 11, 22, and 33, and the mole ratio of the monomer of Formula 22 to the monomer of Formula 33 in the polymerization mixture is from about 0.2:1 to about 7:1, and

Formula 11, Formula 22, and Formula 33 correspond to the following structures:

wherein

R 1 and R 2 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl;

A 11 is an optionally protected carboxylic, phosphonic, or phosphoric;

X 1 is arylene; and

X 2 is alkylene, an ether moiety or an amide moiety.

2 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein Formula 11, Formula 22, and Formula 33 correspond to the following structures:

3 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein A 11 is protected carboxylic, phosphonic, or phosphoric.

4 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymerization mixture further comprises a polymerization initiator.

5 . A crosslinked cation exchange polymer in an acid or salt form, the cation exchange polymer comprising a reaction product of the crosslinked polymer of claim 1 and a hydrolysis agent.

6 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein A 11 is carboxylic, phosphonic, or phosphoric.

7 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymerization mixture does not comprise a polymerization initiator.

8 . A crosslinked cation exchange polymer comprising structural units corresponding to Formulae 1, 2, and 3, wherein

(i) the structural units corresponding to Formula 1 constitute at least about 85 wt. % based on the total weight of structural units of Formulae 1, 2, and 3 in the polymer, calculated from the amounts of monomers used in the polymerization reaction, and the weight ratio of the structural unit corresponding to Formula 2 to the structural unit corresponding to Formula 3 is from about 4:1 to about 1:4, or

(ii) the mole fraction of the structural unit of Formula 1 in the polymer is at least about 0.87 based on the total number of moles of the structural units of Formulae 1, 2, and 3, calculated from the amounts of monomers used in the polymerization reaction, and the mole ratio of the structural unit of Formula 2 to the structural unit of Formula 3 is from about 0.2:1 to about 7:1, and

Formula 1, Formula 2, and Formula 3 correspond to the following structures:

wherein

R 1 and R 2 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl;

A 1 is carboxylic, phosphonic, or phosphoric, in its salt or acid form;

X 1 is arylene;

X 2 is alkylene, an ether moiety or an amide moiety.

9 . The polymer of claim 8 wherein Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 correspond to the following structures:

10 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein X 2 of Formula 33 is either (a) an ether moiety selected from either —(CH 2 ) d —O—(CH 2 ) e — or —(CH 2 ) d —O—(CH 2 ) e —O—(CH 2 ) d- wherein d and e are independently an integer of 1 through 5, or (b) an amide moiety of the formula —C(O)—NH—(CH 2 ) p —NH—C(O)— wherein p is an integer of 1 through 8, or (c) Formulae 3 or 33 is a mixture of structural units having the ether moiety and the amide moiety.

11 .- 12 . (canceled)

13 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein X 2 is alkylene.

14 .- 15 . (canceled)

16 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein X 1 is phenylene.

17 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein R 1 and R 2 are hydrogen.

18 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein A 11 is protected carboxylic.

19 .- 21 . (canceled)

22 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of the monomer of Formula 22 to the monomer of Formula 33 in the crosslinked cation exchange polymer is from about 2:1 to about 1:2.

23 .- 24 . (canceled)

25 . The polymer of any one of claim 1 wherein the mole ratio of the monomer of Formula 22 to the monomer of Formula 33 in the crosslinked cation exchange polymer is from about 0.5:1 to about 1.3:1.

26 .- 27 . (canceled)

28 . The polymer of claim 1 wherein the cation of the salt is calcium, sodium, or a combination thereof.

29 . (canceled)

30 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a crosslinked cation exchange polymer of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

31 . A method of making a crosslinked cation exchange polymer comprising contacting a mixture comprising three or more monomers to form the crosslinked cation exchange polymer, the monomers corresponding to Formula 11, Formula 22, and Formula 33;

wherein

(i) the monomers corresponding to Formula 11 constitute at least about 85 wt. % based on the total weight of monomers of Formulae 11, 22, and 33 in the polymerization mixture, and the weight ratio of the monomer corresponding to Formula 22 to the monomer corresponding to Formula 33 is from about 4:1 to about 1:4, or

(ii) the mole fraction of the monomer of Formula 11 in the polymerization mixture is at least about 0.87 based on the total number of moles of the monomers of Formulae 11, 22, and 33, and the mole ratio of the monomer of Formula 22 to the monomer of Formula 33 in the polymerization mixture is from about 0.2:1 to about 7:1, and

Formula 11, Formula 22, and Formula 33 correspond to the following structures:

wherein

R 1 and R 2 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl;

A 11 is an optionally protected carboxylic, phosphonic, or phosphoric;

X 1 is arylene; and

X 2 is alkylene, an ether moiety or an amide moiety.

32 .- 37 . (canceled)

38 . A method for removing potassium from the gastrointestinal tract of an animal subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering a polymer of claim 1 to the subject, whereby the pharmaceutical composition or the polymer passes through the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, and removes a therapeutically effective amount of potassium ion from the gastrointestinal tract of the subject.

39 .- 53 . (canceled)