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Tailored Silica Macrocellular Foams: Combining Limited Coalescence‐Based Pickering Emulsion and Sol–Gel Process
Author(s) -
Destribats Mathieu,
Faure Benjamin,
Birot Marc,
Babot Odile,
Schmitt Véronique,
Backov Rénal
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201102564
Subject(s) - materials science , coalescence (physics) , dispersity , chemical engineering , void (composites) , template , mesoporous material , emulsion , pickering emulsion , composite material , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , chemistry , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , physics , astrobiology , engineering , catalysis
Solid‐sate monolithic macrocellular foams are synthesized by mineralizing the continuous phase of oil‐in‐water Pickering emulsions, used as templates, with the sol–gel process. For the first time, taking advantage of the limited coalescence phenomenon occurring in emulsions stabilized by solid particles, concentrated emulsions with calibrated drop size are produced, leading to the synthesis of monolithic foams with nearly monodisperse macroscopic voids. Such a strategy allows independent tuning of the macrocellular void diameters from 20 to 800 μm and the diameter of the windows connecting adjacent cells. The obtained macrocellular foams also bear micro‐ and mesoporosity, leading to Brunauer, Emmet and Teller (BET) surface area values between 700 and 900 m 2 g −1 with a good mesopores monodispersity.