title: Microencapsulation of hydrophobic liquids in closed all-silica colloidosomes.
abstract: A facile approach for the microencapsulation of hydrophobic liquids in closed solid all-silica colloidosomes is reported. The method is based on the formation of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by silica nanoparticles and subsequent gluing of the particles at the water/oil interface by a silica precursor polymer-hyperbranched polyethoxysiloxane. By this means different oils are successfully enclosed in hence formed all-silica colloidosomes with almost 100% efficiency. Via a systematical study it is demonstrated that this process is a delicate interplay between the emulsion stability, oil polarity, and sol-gel reaction kinetics. This approach allows fabricating microcapsules of hydrophobic liquid substances in a mechanically stable, chemically inert, and biocompatible matrix, silica, with high encapsulation capacity and a controlled release profile.
authors.affiliation: DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials and Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry of RWTH Aachen University , Forckenbeckstraße 50, Aachen 52056, Germany.
authors.forename: Yongliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dan E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Demco
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Möller
mesh_terms: D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D004655:Emulsions; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D004655:Emulsions; D009821:Oils; D012822:Silicon Dioxide