In this work a facile approach for the microencapsulation of hydrophobic liquids in closed solid all-silica colloidosomes is reported. The method is based on the formation of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by silica nanoparticles and subsequent gluing of the particles at the water/oil interface by a silica precursor polymer � hyperbranched polyethoxysiloxane. By this means different oils are successfully enclosed in hence formed all-silica colloidosomes with almost 100 % efficiency. Via a systematical study it is demonstrated that this process is a delicate interplay between the emulsion stability, oil polarity and sol-gel reaction kinetics. This approach allows fabricating microcapsules of hydrophobic liquid substances in a mechanically stable, chemically inert and biocompatible matrix, silica, with high encapsulation capacity and a controlled release profile, see   .

Microencapsulation of hydrophobic liquids in closed all-silica colloidosomes

248th National Meeting (2014)

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