Demonstration of protein capture and separation using 3D printed anion exchange monoliths fabricated in one-step

3D printing applications in separation science are currently limited by the lack of materials compatible with chromatographic operations and 3D printing technologies. In this work, we propose a new material for Digital Light Processing printing to fabricate functional ion exchange monoliths in a single step. Through copolymerisation of the bi‐functional monomer 2‐(Acryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride, monolithic structures with quaternary amine ligands were fabricated. The novel formulation was optimised in terms of protein binding and recovery, microporous structure and its swelling susceptibility by increasing its crosslink density and employing cyclohexanol and dodecanol as pore forming agents. In static conditions, the material demonstrated a maximum binding capacity of 104.2 ± 10.6 mg/mL for BSA, in line with commercially available materials. Its anion exchange behaviour was validated by separating BSA and myoglobin on a monolithic bed with Schoen gyroid morphology. The same column geometry was challenged for the purification of C‐phycocyanin from clarified as well as cell‐laden Arthrospira platensis feedstocks. This represents the first demonstration of one‐step printed stationary phases to capture proteins directly from solid‐laden feedstocks. We believe that the material here presented represents a significant improvement towards implementation of 3D printed chromatography media in the field of separation science.