Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hierarchical polymeric hollow microspheres with size tunable single holes and their application as catalytic microreactor

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Colloid and Polymer Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We report a facile yet robust route to produce titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles immobilized poly(melamine-urea-paraformaldehyde)-based hollow microspheres with hierarchical morphology and size tunable single holes through Pickering emulsion templated in situ polymerization. Initially, TiO2 nanoparticles were hydrophobized by chemisorbing long-chain lauric acid (LA) via bidentate chelating complex and precisely tuned its wettability by varying grafting density of lauric acid to obtain highly stable oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion. Subsequently, modified TiO2 nanoparticles were employed into the intended encapsulation strategy that enabled hollow microspheres with hierarchical morphology and size tunable single holes. The hole formation over microsphere shell with time was monitored by optical microscope and a formation mechanism was proposed. To demonstrate primary application of the resulting hollow monoporous microspheres, they were loaded with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and employed as catalytic microreactor for photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. Additional improvement in MB photodegradation efficiency was observed after loading the microsphere cavity with a more effective electron donor.

Graphical abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  1. Bah MG, Bilal HM, Wang J (2020) Fabrication and application of complex microcapsules: a review. Soft Matter 16:570–590. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9sm01634a

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Moon S, Kim JQ, Kim BQ et al (2020) Processable composites with extreme material capacities: toward designer high internal phase emulsions and foams. Chem Mater 32:4838–4854. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b04952

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Okubo M, Yamaguchi A, Fujiwara T (1999) Thermodynamic aspects of the heterogeneous structure of “golf-ball-like” polymer particles. Colloid Polym Sci 277:1005–1008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s003960050483

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Im SH, Jeong U, Xia Y (2005) Polymer hollow particles with controllable holes in their surfaces. Nat Mater 4:671–675. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1448

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Minami H, Kobayashi H, Okubo M (2005) Preparation of hollow polymer particles with a single hole in the shell by SaPSeP. Langmuir 21:5655–5658. https://doi.org/10.1021/la0502948

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Capelle HA, Britcher LG, Morris GE (2003) Sodium stearate adsorption onto titania pigment. J Colloid Interface Sci 268:293–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2003.08.031

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Anaya S, Serrano B, Herrero B et al (2014) Γ-Alumina modification with long chain carboxylic acid surface nanocrystals for biocompatible polysulfone nanocomposites. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 6:14460–14468. https://doi.org/10.1021/am503744z

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Al-Hetlani E, Amin MO, Madkour M (2017) Detachable photocatalysts of anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles: annulling surface charge for immediate photocatalyst separation. Appl Surf Sci 411:355–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.03.151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cira NJ, Benusiglio A, Prakash M (2015) Vapour-mediated sensing and motility in two-component droplets. Nature 519:446–450. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14272

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Kang K, Hong JS, Dhont JKG (2014) Local interfacial migration of clay particles within an oil droplet in an aqueous environment. J Phys Chem C 118:24803–24810. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp508333u

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Parvate S, Chattopadhyay S (2022) Complex polymeric microstructures with programmable architecture via pickering emulsion-templated in situ polymerization. Langmuir 38:1406–1421. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02572

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Liu N, Zhao S, Yang Z, Liu B (2019) Patchy templated synthesis of macroporous colloidal hollow spheres and their application as catalytic microreactors. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 11:47008–47014. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b18355

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Liu H, Wang X, Wu D, Ji S (2019) Fabrication and applications of dual-responsive microencapsulated phase change material with enhanced solar energy-storage and solar photocatalytic effectiveness. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 193:184–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2019.01.012

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kim DH, Woo HC, Kim MH (2019) Room-temperature synthesis of hollow polymer microparticles with an open hole on the surface and their application. Langmuir 35:13700–13710. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02780

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Parvate S, Singh J, Dixit P et al (2021) Titanium dioxide nanoparticle-decorated polymer microcapsules enclosing phase change material for thermal energy storage and photocatalysis. ACS Appl Polym Mater 3:1866–1879. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.0c01410

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support to execute the experimental work is gratefully acknowledged to the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) Plan Grant (2019-20) and IIT Roorkee (OH-35- 71-142), India.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polymer & Process Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Saharanpur, 247001, India

    Sumit Parvate, Prakhar Dixit & Sujay Chattopadhyay

Authors
  1. Sumit Parvate
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Prakhar Dixit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sujay Chattopadhyay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sujay Chattopadhyay.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 26099 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Parvate, S., Dixit, P. & Chattopadhyay, S. Hierarchical polymeric hollow microspheres with size tunable single holes and their application as catalytic microreactor. Colloid Polym Sci 300, 1101–1109 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-022-05008-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-022-05008-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation