Hybrid organic-inorganic colloidal composite 'sponges' via internal crosslinking.
An effective method for the generation of hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposite microparticles featuring controlled size and high structural stability is presented. In this process, an oil-in-water Pickering emulsion is formed using hydrophilic amine-functionalized silica nanoparticles. Covalent modification using a hydrophobic maleic anhydride copolymer then alters nanoparticle wettability during crosslinking, causing a core-shell to nanocomposite structural reorganization of the assemblies. The resulting porous nanocomposites maintain discrete microparticle structures and retain payloads in their oil phase even when incubated in competitive solvents such as ethanol.
Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA.
Bradley
B
Duncan
Ryan F
RF
Landis
Huda A
HA
Jerri
Valery
V
Normand
Daniel
D
Benczédi
Lahoussine
L
Ouali
Vincent M
VM
Rotello
microparticles; nanocomposites; nanomaterials