Synthesis and properties of the new aromatic tetrafunctional methacrylate monomer 2,7-(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxypropoxy) naphthalene are presented. This monomer was applied for the synthesis of porous microspheres. It was copolymerized with divinylbenzene in the presence of pore-forming diluents, decan-1-ol and toluene. Influence of diluents composition on their porous structures was studied. Porous structures of the obtained microspheres in dry (from nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements) and swollen (the inverse size exclusion chromatography method) states were compared with those synthesized from isomeric 2,3-(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxypropoxy)-naphthalene and divinylbenzene. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.