Synthesis of hollow silica particles with tunable size, shell thickness, and morphology

We herein present a simple and effective method to control the particle size, shell thickness, and morphology of hollow silica particles (HSPs). To synthesize the HSPs, polystyrene (PS) particles were employed as a sacrificial template. Size tuning of the HSPs could therefore be achieved by using PS particles of varying sizes. The size of the PS particles was easily controlled by modulation of the monomer content used in the particle synthesis. Varying amounts of TEOS and ammonium hydroxide were systematically added to the system in order to modify the shell thickness and morphology of the desired HSPs. The results indicated that the effects of TEOS and ammonium hydroxide concentrations on the HSP shell thicknesses were similar whereas the effects on morphologies differed significantly.

► We synthesized size, shell thickness, and morphology tunable hollow silica particles (HSPs).
► To control the size of HSPs, we changed an amount of styrene monomer.
► Concentration of TEOS and ammonium hydroxide could modify the shell thickness and the morphology of HSPs.