Graphical Hybrid hollow sub-microspheres (HHSs) were synthesized by using SiO 2 surfaces. In the presence of SiO 2 particles, the hydrolysis rate of 3-(methacryloyloxy)propyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) accelerated and the condensation rate of the hydrolyzed species decelerated. The preserved hydrolyzed species of MPS emulsified isopentyl acetate to form a steady O/W emulsion. HHSs were obtained by subsequent free radical polymerization and removal of the oil core. A novel method was developed to synthesize organic–inorganic hybrid hollow sub-microspheres (HHSs) through the addition of colloidal SiO 2 . The hydrolysis rate of 3-(methacryloyloxy)propyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) was accelerated by SiO 2 particles; meanwhile, the condensation rate of the hydrolytic species was decelerated. Thus, the hydrolytic monomers and oligomers of MPS were preserved as emulsifiers. These emulsifiers can then emulsify the isopentyl acetate (PEA) to form a steady O/W emulsion. The HHSs were produced by subsequent free radical polymerization and removal of the oil core. The hydrolytic MPS acted as emulsifiers and polymerizable monomers at the emulsification and polymerization stage, respectively. Thus, extra emulsifiers, co-emulsifiers, and organic monomers were omitted, which simplified the synthesis process. The good dispersion of HHSs in water and oil, as well as the EDX results, indicated the organic–inorganic hybrid structure of HHSs.
In this article, a magnetic-responsive microfiltration membrane based on three-dimensional (3 D) inverse colloidal crystal (ICC) was prepared with relatively simple approach. We designed the ICC membrane using self-assembly of Fe3O4@SiO2 colloidal crystal into a colloidal crystal template. The resulting close-packed colloidal crystal was infiltrated with a reactive monomer solution. After polymerization, the silica spheres were etched away, resulting in an ICC membrane with Fe3O4 nanoparticles inside. The typical ICC membrane was characterized by SEM and XRD. Meanwhile, We used the KCl diffusion to test the permeability of the membrane. The results illustrated that the highly ordered permeable polymer membrane was successfully prepared by using Fe3O4@SiO2 colloidal crystals as the templates. Furthermore, the functional ICC membrane exhibited excellent magnetic-responsive gating property to separation. The smart environment-responsive gating membranes have potential applications in filtration, sensors and other applications.