Abstract: A method of using a reaction plenum in the presence or absence of paramagnetic beads to perform chemical syntheses resulting in separation and recovery of a final desired reaction product is provided. The reaction plenum comprises a reaction plate, a reaction vessel for mounting in the reaction plate, a reaction plate holder, a screw-like rod, a mounting block attached to the reaction plate holder for operably receiving the screw-like rod, a motor, a sonication region in a temperature controllable water bath and a magnetic separation region in the water bath. Paramagnetic beads having reaction sites are introduced into the reaction vessels along with the appropriate solvent and one or more reactants. The contents of the reaction vessel are sonicated, then moved to the magnetic separation region where the paramagnetic beads are tightly held against the reaction vessel while the solvent is aspirated off. Once the desired reaction product is attained, the reaction product is cleaved off the paramagnetic bead.

Abstract: A solid phase magnetic support having a hydrophilic surface, a method of making the support, and a method of using the support for peptide synthesis are provided. The solid phase magnetic support is synthesized from a starting material which is a magnetic polystyrene polymer bead which has a plurality of polystyrene coated metal oxide particles randomly distributed in a polystyrene matrix having chloromethyl groups. Hydrophilic long chain hydrocarbon spacer arms, such as polyalkylene diamine molecules are coupled with sonication to the chloromethyl groups. Each spacer arm is provided with a terminal amine for linking to a first amino acid. Preferably, the terminal amine on the spacer arm is provided by a low molecular weight linker molecule which can be acid cleaved from the spacer arm. However, the spacer arm may be derivatized and linked to a first amino acid which cannot be acid cleaved from the spacer arm.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel composite magnetic bead and a method for making the composite magnetic bead. The composite magnetic bead is comprised of a matrix formed from vinyl monomers throughout which is distributed primary beads, each primary bead of which is a magnetizable metal oxide encapsulated in a rigid polymeric coating. The matrix structure allows the composite magnetic bead to swell in organic solvents without loss of the intermeshed primary beads. Further, the matrix can be functionalized to allow the covalent bonding of sites useful for organic syntheses.The composite magnetic beads are made utilizing a core-shell polymerization techinque under conditions which preserve the oxidation state of the magnetizable metal oxide in the primary particles. In one embodiment, primary beads, each having a hydrophobic exterior surface, are dispersed in an inert solvent with a vinyl monomer and a crosslinking agent for that monomer to form a dispersed phase.