title: Synthesis of hollow silica spheres with hierarchical shell structure by the dual action of liquid indium microbeads in vapor-liquid-solid growth.
abstract: Geometry-based adhesion arising from hierarchical surface structure enables microspheres to adhere to cells strongly, which is essential for inorganic microcapsules that function as drug delivery or diagnostic imaging agents. However, constructing a hierarchical structure on the outer shell of the products via the current microcapsule synthesis method is difficult. This work presents a novel approach to fabricating hollow microspheres with a hierarchical shell structure through the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process in which liquid indium droplets act as both templates for the formation of silica capsules and catalysts for the growth of hierarchical shell structure. This hierarchical shell structure offers the hollow microsphere an enhanced geometry-based adhesion. The results provide a facile method for fabricating hollow spheres and enriching their function through tailoring the geometry of their outer shells.
authors.affiliation: Nano-organic Photoelectronic Laboratory, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Tao
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Chun-Sing
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Xiao-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D007204:Indium / Q000737:chemistry*; D008863:Microspheres; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010316:Particle Size; D016062:Porosity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D007204:Indium; D012822:Silicon Dioxide