Facile one-step fabrication of polymer microspheres with high magnetism and armored inorganic particles by Pickering emulsion polymerization

Facile one-step Pickering emulsion polymerization was employed to prepare magnetic polymer microspheres with high magnetism and armored inorganic particles. Partially hydrophilic CTAB-modified Fe3O4 particles were employed as stabilizer of Pickering emulsion and were armored on the as-prepared microspheres, while totally hydrophobic oleic acid-modified Fe3O4 particles were encapsulated in the obtained microspheres. The microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray microanalyses (EDX) and magnetic measurements. Total Fe3O4, encapsulated Fe3O4 and armored Fe3O4 were detected and catalytic activity of microspheres for Fenton reaction was evaluated. The results showed that steady barrier formed by CTAB-modified Fe3O4 on droplet surface can prevent oleic acid-modified Fe3O4 from escaping away the polymerization vessel, which lead to an efficient encapsulation to oleic acid-modified Fe3O4. The encapsulated Fe3O4 enables the microspheres to be separated by external magnetic field and the armored Fe3O4 endows the composites with special catalytic property.

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► Microspheres with encapsulated and armored Fe3O4 were prepared by Pickering emulsion.
► Particles-formed film on Pickering droplet ensures high encapsulation to particles.
► Encapsulated Fe3O4 enables microspheres to be separated conveniently.
► Armored Fe3O4 endow microsphere with catalytic activity to Fenton reaction.