Abstract:
Core-shell structured SiO
2/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (SiO
2/PNIPAM) microspheres were successfully fabricated through hydrolysis and condensation reaction of tertraethyl or-thosilicate (TEOS) on the surface of PNIPAM template at 50 oC. The PNIPAM template can be easily removed by water at room temperature so that SiO
2 hollow microspheres were finally obtained. The transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope observations indicated that SiO
2 hollow microspheres with an average diameter of 150 nm can be formed only if there are enough concentration of PNIPAM and TEOS, and the hy-drolysis time of TEOS. FTIR analysis showed that part of PNIPAM remained on the wall of SiO
2 because of the strong interaction between PNIPAM and silica. This work provides a clean and efficient way to prepare hollow microspheres.