Microencapsulated -octadecane with TiO2-doped silk fibroin shell for thermal energy storage and UV-shielding

The novel microencapsulated n -octadecane with TiO 2 -doped silk fibroin (SF) shell was synthesized using a self-assembly method in o/w emulsion. It was confirmed by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscope (FT-IR) and a three-phase contact angle that TiO 2 is successfully modified by SF aqueous solution. The scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and laser scattering particle size distribution analyzer showed that the as-prepared microcapsules have regularly spherical morphology and are about 4–5 μm in average diameter. According to differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer (UV–vis) measurements, the TiO 2 -doped microcapsule presents high thermal storage capability, enhanced thermal reliability and stability, and have good UV-shielding property. The TiO 2 -doped microcapsule synthesized in the present study could prove to be path-breaking and lead to further studies in the field of thermal energy storage and UV-shielding applications.