Issue 10, 2016

Multipod-like silica/polystyrene clusters

Abstract

Multipod-like clusters composed of a silica core and PS satellites are prepared according to a seeded-growth emulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of size-monodisperse silica particles previously surface-modified with methacryloxymethyltriethoxysilane. Tuning the diameter and concentration of the silica seeds affords homogeneous batches of tetrapods, hexapods, octopods, nonapods and dodecapods with morphology yields as high as 80%. Three-dimensional reconstructions by cryo-electron tomography are presented on large fields for the first time to show the high symmetry and regularity of the clusters demonstrating the good control of the synthesis process. These synthesis experiments are visited again digitally, in order to successfully refine an original simulation model and better understand the correlation between the history of the cluster growth and the final composition of the cluster mixture. Finally, using the model as a predictive tool and varying the extra experimental conditions, e.g. the composition of the surfactant mixture and the styrene concentration, result in trapping other cluster morphologies, such as tripods.

Graphical abstract: Multipod-like silica/polystyrene clusters

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 10 2015
Accepted
03 12 2015
First published
18 12 2015

Nanoscale, 2016,8, 5454-5469

Author version available

Multipod-like silica/polystyrene clusters

A. Désert, J. Morele, J. Taveau, O. Lambert, M. Lansalot, E. Bourgeat-Lami, A. Thill, O. Spalla, L. Belloni, S. Ravaine and E. Duguet, Nanoscale, 2016, 8, 5454 DOI: 10.1039/C5NR07613G

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