This article presents a facile, effective, mild synthesis process for well-defined hollow spheres by using cationic polystyrene (PS) submicro-particles as templates. In this approach, the cationic PS templates can be first prepared via emulsifier-free polymerization by using the cationic monomer 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyltrimethylammonium chloride as comonomer, then, the silica shells from the solgel process of tetraethoxysilane were coated on the surfaces of template particles via electrostatic interaction, finally the PS was dissolved in situ by modification of the reaction conditions in the same medium to form monodisperse hollow silica spheres with controlled shell thickness. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscope measurements were used to characterize these hollow silica spheres.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.