Ligand functionalized substrates with enhanced binding capacity

1. An article for biomaterial capture comprising

(a) a porous substrate; and

(b) grafted to said porous substrate, a polymer comprising interpolymerized units of at least one monomer consisting of (1) at least one monovalent ethylenically unsaturated group, (2) at least one monovalent ligand functional group selected from acidic groups, basic groups other than guanidino, and salts thereof, and (3) a multivalent spacer group that is directly bonded to said monovalent groups so as to link at least one said ethylenically unsaturated group and at least one said ligand functional group by a chain of from 9 to 16 catenated atoms.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein said porous substrate is a porous membrane; and/or wherein said porous substrate is polymeric.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein said monovalent ethylenically unsaturated group is selected from ethenyl, 1-alkylethenyl, and combinations thereof.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein said monovalent ligand functional group is a heteroatom-containing group.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein said monovalent ligand functional group is selected from carboxy, phosphono, phosphato, sulfono, sulfato, boronato, tertiary amino, quaternary amino, and combinations thereof.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein said multivalent spacer group is a catenated heteroatom-containing hydrocarbon group.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein said multivalent spacer group comprises at least one hydrogen bonding moiety.

8. The article of claim 7 , wherein said hydrogen bonding moiety is selected from carbonylimino, thiocarbonylimino, iminocarbonylimino, iminothiocarbonylimino, oxycarbonylimino, oxythiocarbonylimino, and combinations thereof.

9. The article of claim 1 , wherein said monomer is one of a class represented by the following general formula

CH 2 ═CR 1 —C(═O)—X—R 2 —[Z—R 2 ] n -L  (I)

wherein

R 1 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and combinations thereof;

each R 2 is independently selected from hydrocarbylene, heterohydrocarbylene, and combinations thereof;

X is —O— or where R 3 is selected from hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, heterohydrocarbyl, and combinations thereof;

Z is heterohydrocarbylene comprising at least one hydrogen bond donor, at least one hydrogen bond acceptor, or a combination thereof;

n is an integer of 0 or 1; and

L is a heteroatom-containing group comprising at least one monovalent ligand functional group selected from acidic groups, basic groups other than guanidino, and salts thereof.

10. An article for biomaterial capture comprising

(a) a porous polymeric membrane; and

(b) grafted to said porous polymeric membrane, a polymer comprising interpolymerized units of at least one monomer consisting of (1) a terminal monovalent ethylenically unsaturated group, (2) at least one terminal monovalent ligand functional group selected from acidic groups, basic groups other than guanidino, and salts thereof, and (3) a multivalent spacer group that comprises at least one hydrogen bonding moiety and that is directly bonded to said terminal monovalent groups so as to link said terminal monovalent ethylenically unsaturated group and each said terminal monovalent ligand functional group by a chain of from 9 to 16 catenated atoms.

11. The article of claim 1 , wherein said article further comprises at least one filter element.

12. A process for capture or removal of a target biomaterial comprising

(a) providing at least one article of claim 11 ; and

(b) allowing a moving biological solution containing a target biomaterial to impinge upon the upstream surface of said filter element for a time sufficient to effect binding of said target biomaterial.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein said target biological species is a protein.