Preparation of hemispherical hollow silica microcapsules with different affinity surface by using spherical vaterite calcium carbonate as template

We developed a method to prepare hemispherical hollow silica microcapsules (HHSM) with different affinity surfaces using spherical vaterite calcium carbonate (SVCC) as a template. The preparation process composed of the adhesion of calcium carbonate onto the surface of methyl methacrylate (MMA) droplets followed by suspension polymerization, the partial etching of calcium carbonate on the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) mother particle, the formation of silicon dioxide powder by sol–gel reaction and their deposition onto the etched flat surface of calcium carbonate, the surface modification of deposited silicon dioxide with silane coupling agent, the removal of the mother particle with acetone, the formation of silicon dioxide powder by sol–gel reaction and deposition onto the exposed hemispherical surface of calcium carbonate, and the surface modification of deposited silicon dioxide with silane coupling agent. The synthesized microcapsules had a complete hemispherical structure and both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces.