title: Toward Scalable Fabrication of Hierarchical Silica Capsules with Integrated Micro-, Meso-, and Macropores.
abstract: Hierarchical porous structures are ubiquitous in biological organisms and inorganic systems. Although such structures have been replicated, designed, and fabricated, they are often inferior to naturally occurring analogues. Apart from the complexity and multiple functionalities developed by the biological systems, the controllable and scalable production of hierarchically porous structures and building blocks remains a technological challenge. Herein, a facile and scalable approach is developed to fabricate hierarchical hollow spheres with integrated micro-, meso-, and macropores ranging from 1 nm to 100 μm (spanning five orders of magnitude). (Macro)molecules, micro-rods (which play a key role for the creation of robust capsules), and emulsion droplets have been successfully employed as multiple length scale templates, allowing the creation of hierarchical porous macrospheres. Thanks to their specific mechanical strength, these hierarchical porous spheres could be incorporated and assembled as higher level building blocks in various novel materials.
authors: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.|Unilever Research and Development Shanghai, Shanghai, 200335, P. R. China.
authors: Weizheng
authors: W
authors: Zhou
authors: Instrumental Analysis Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
authors: Gangsheng
authors: G
authors: Tong
authors: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
authors: Dali
authors: D
authors: Wang
authors: Instrumental Analysis Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
authors: Bangshang
authors: B
authors: Zhu
authors: BASF Battery Materials, Shanghai, 201206, P. R. China.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Ren
authors: Unilever Research and Development Colworth, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, MK44 1LQ, UK.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Butler
authors: Unilever Research and Development Vlaardingen, Vlaardingen, 3133 AT, Netherlands.
authors: Eddie
authors: E
authors: Pelan
authors: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
authors: Deyue
authors: D
authors: Yan
authors: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
authors: Xinyuan
authors: X
authors: Zhu
authors: Unilever Research and Development Vlaardingen, Vlaardingen, 3133 AT, Netherlands.|Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6703 HB, Netherlands.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors: Simeon D
authors: SD
authors: Stoyanov
keywords: Pickering emulsions; hierarchical materials; multi-templating; porous structures; silica capsules