IP Library Granted Patent US 10,695,744
Granted Patent B2
US 10,695,744 · App. 15/579,876 · Granted Jun 30, 2020

Adsorbent biprocessing clarification agents and methods of making and using the same

Inventors: Surya Kiran Chodavarapu (Ellicott City, MD); Feng Gu (Ellicott City, MD)
Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn.
B01J20/103B01D15/08B01J20/262B01J20/28004B01J20/28016B01J20/28057B01J20/28061B01J20/28069B01J20/28078B01J20/28088B01J20/3042B01J20/3204B01J20/327B01J20/3219B01J20/3272B01J20/3276C07K1/14B01D15/125B01J2220/46
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,695,744
App. No.
15/579,876
Granted
Jun 30, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Adsorbent clarification agents suitable for use in bioprocessing procedures are disclosed. Methods of making and using the adsorbent clarification agents are also disclosed.

Claims (37)

1. Adsorbents for use as a bioprocessing clarification agent, said adsorbents comprising:

metal oxide particles having a wide pore size distribution as measured by a pore size distribution span 90 value of greater than 2.5; and

polymeric material covalently bonded to surfaces of said metal oxide particles.

2. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide particles have a median particle size of less than about 150 μm.

3. The adsorbents of claim 2 , wherein said metal oxide particles have a median pore size of less than about 2000 Å.

4. The adsorbents of claim 3 , wherein said metal oxide particles have a pore size distribution of from about 30 to about 5000 Å.

5. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide particles have a BET particle surface area of at least about 100 m 2 /g up to about 1000 m 2 /g.

6. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide particles have a pore volume, as measured by mercury intrusion, of from about 1.0 ml/g up to about 2.0 ml/g.

7. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide particles have a pore size distribution span 90 value of about 2.8 to about 7.8.

8. The adsorbents of claim 1 , further comprising at least one bifunctional moiety extending from said surfaces of said metal oxide particles, each of said at least one bifunctional moiety comprising (i) one or more functional groups capable of bonding to said surfaces, and either (iia) said polymeric material, or (iib) one or more reactive groups capable of bonding to said polymeric material.

9. The adsorbents of claim 8 , wherein said at least one bifunctional moiety comprises an epoxy silane.

10. The adsorbents of claim 9 , wherein said at least one bifunctional moiety comprises (3-glycidoxypropyl)-trimethoxysilane.

11. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material is covalently bonded to said surfaces via a covalent bond linkage consisting of one or more atoms selected from the group consisting of C, O, Si and N.

12. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises a cationic polyelectrolyte.

13. The adsorbents of claim 12 , wherein said cationic polyelectrolyte comprises polyethyleneimine, polyallylamine, polyvinyl pyridine, polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (pDADMAC), or a copolymer containing one or more cationic or cationic-forming functional groups or the reaction product of said metal oxide particles and an aqueous trimethoxysilyl-polyethyleneimine solution.

14. The adsorbents of claim 13 , wherein said cationic polyelectrolyte comprises polyethyleneimine having (i) a weight average molecular weight, Mw, and (ii) a number average molecular weight, Mn, each of which is less than about 5000.

15. The adsorbents of claim 13 , wherein said cationic polyelectrolyte comprises polyethyleneimine having a structure:

prior to being covalently bonded to said surfaces, and n is a number greater than or equal to 1.

16. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises an anionic polyelectrolyte.

17. The adsorbents of claim 16 , wherein the anionic polyelectrolyte comprises polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, polystyrene sulfonic acid, nucleic acid, or a copolymer containing one or more anionic or anionic-forming functional groups.

18. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material is present in an amount representing up to about 20.0 wt % of said adsorbents based on a total weight of said adsorbents.

19. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein less than 100% of said surfaces are bonded to said polymeric material.

20. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide particles comprise silica particles.

21. The adsorbents of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbents are bound to one or more particular biological compounds, wherein the one or more particular biological compounds comprise a protein, a polysaccharide, a lipid, a nucleic acid, a metabolites, a mammalian cell, mammalian cell debris, an antibody, a peptide, DNA, RNA, an endotoxin, a virus, a vaccine, an enzyme, or any combination thereof.

22. A method of making the adsorbents of claim 1 , said method comprising:

contacting the metal oxide particles having a wide pore size distribution as measured by a pore size distribution span 90 value of greater than 2.5 with one or more reactants under reaction conditions that result in the polymeric material covalently bonded to the surfaces of the metal oxide particles, wherein said contacting step utilizes a reaction mixture free of organic solvent.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the one or more reactants comprise at least one bifunctional compound comprising (i) one or more functional groups capable of bonding the compound to the surfaces of the metal oxide particles, and either (iia) the polymeric material, or (iib) one or more reactive groups capable of bonding to the polymeric material.

24. A method of using adsorbents as defined in claim 1 as a bioprocessing clarification agent, wherein the adsorbents are added to a bioprocessing vessel containing one or more biomolecules, the one or more biomolecules comprising a protein, a polysaccharide, a lipid, a nucleic acid, a metabolites, a mammalian cell, mammalian cell debris, an antibody, a peptide, DNA, RNA, an endotoxin, a virus, a vaccine, an enzyme, or any combination thereof.

25. Adsorbents for use as a bioprocessing clarification agent, said adsorbents comprising:

metal oxide particles having a wide pore size distribution as measured by a pore size distribution span 90 value of greater than 2.0; and

a cationic polyelectrolyte covalently bonded to surfaces of said metal oxide particles, wherein said cationic polyelectrolyte comprises polyethyleneimine, polyallylamine, polyvinyl pyridine, polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (pDADMAC), or a copolymer containing one or more cationic or cationic-forming functional groups or the reaction product of said metal oxide particles and an aqueous trimethoxysilyl-polyethyleneimine solution.

26. The adsorbents of claim 25 , wherein said metal oxide particles comprise silica particles having (i) a wide pore size distribution as measured by a pore size distribution span 90 value of from about 2.8 to about 7.8, (ii) a BET particle surface area of at least about 100 m 2 /g up to about 1000 m 2 /g, and (iii) a pore volume, as measured by mercury intrusion, of from about 1.0 ml/g to about 2.0 ml/g.

27. The adsorbents of claim 26 , wherein said cationic polyelectrolyte comprises polyethyleneimine.

28. Adsorbents for use as a bioprocessing clarification agent, said adsorbents comprising:

metal oxide particles having a wide pore size distribution as measured by a pore size distribution span 90 value of from about 2.8 to about 7.8; and

polymeric material covalently bonded to surfaces of said metal oxide particles, said polymeric material comprising polyethyleneimine.

29. The adsorbents of claim 28 , wherein said metal oxide particles comprise silica particles having (i) a BET particle surface area of at least about 100 m 2 /g up to about 1000 m 2 /g, and (ii) a pore volume, as measured by mercury intrusion, of from about 1.0 ml/g to about 2.0 ml/g.

Assignments (8)
NOTES SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2026
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.; ADVANCED REFINING TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074532/0229 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Aug 19, 2025
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072520/0653 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2023
From: W.R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 062792/0510 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2021
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
To: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
Reel/Frame 057594/0026 →
TERM LOAN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 23, 2021
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 057594/0104 →
NOTES SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 23, 2021
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 057594/0156 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2018
From: CHODAVARAPU, SURYA KIRAN; GU, FENG
To: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
Reel/Frame 045693/0374 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 3, 2018
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045828/0683 →