The facile preparation for temperature sensitive silica/PNIPAAm composite microspheres

The temperature sensitive SiO 2 /PNIPAAm composite microspheres were designed and successfully synthesized. The influences of monomer concentration, reaction time, reaction temperature and initiator amount on water contact angel of the prepared microspheres were investigated. The structure, morphology, and surface composition were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The temperature sensitive properties in aqueous solution were studied by water contact angle measurement instrument and dynamic light scatter (DLS). The results show that the low critical solution temperature (LCST) of SiO 2 /PNIPAAm composites is around 304   K and the particle is monodisperse microsphere .