Fabrication of silica nanoparticles and hollow spheres using ionic liquid microemulsion droplets as templates

Silica products with two different morphologies were synthesized using nonaqueous ionic liquid microemulsion droplets as templates. The morphologies of the obtained products were characterized by both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). By adjusting the reaction conditions, ellipsoidal nanoparticles were formed under acidic conditions, while hollow silica spheres were obtained under alkaline conditions. It is demonstrated that the size distribution of hollow silica spheres was narrower than that of the ellipsoidal nanoparticles. The various vibration modes of different functional groups in the silica materials were revealed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The two samples were both shown to be amorphous, not crystalline by X-ray diffraction (XRD). A simple diagram of the formation process including the hydrolysis and condensation reactions is given. Furthermore, a probable mechanism for the formation of silica materials under acidic or alkaline conditions is presented, which may be helpful for better understanding the different silica materials obtained under different conditions.