Fine-tuning Cavity Size and Wall Thickness of Silica Hollow Nanoparticles by Templating Polymeric Micelles with Core–Shell–Corona Structure

Abstract

Abstract Hollow silica nanospheres have been successfully prepared by templating the polymeric micelles of poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (PS–PVP–PEO), which shows a core–shell–corona structure in aqueous solutions. In this template, each block has its own function; the PS block (core) works as a template of the void space of hollow silica, the PVP block (shell) acts as a reaction field for the sol–gel reaction of silica precursor, and the PEO block (corona) stabilizes the polymer/silica composite particles. It was found that the diameter of the void space of the hollow silica spheres can be fine-tuned on a several nanometer scale by changing the chain length of the PS block. The wall thickness of the hollow silica is also fine-tuned by varying the concentration of the silica precursor.