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SAXS characterization of polymer‐embedded hollow nanoparticles and of their shell porosity
Author(s) -
Chen Zhi Hong,
Hwang Sun Hye,
Zeng Xiangbing,
Roh Jongmin,
Jang Jyongsik,
Ungar Goran
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889813025132
Subject(s) - small angle x ray scattering , materials science , polymer , dispersity , porosity , nanoparticle , chemical engineering , scattering , shell (structure) , nanotechnology , composite material , polymer chemistry , optics , physics , engineering
Size parameters of SiO 2 /TiO 2 hollow nanoparticles (HNPs) of 25–100 nm in diameter were characterized by small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS). On the basis of the decoupling and the Percus–Yevick approximations, and using a hollow sphere model, size information on HNPs was extracted, including average outer diameter, average inner diameter and polydispersity. Application of an alternative form factor based on hollow ellipsoids, and of a sticky hard sphere structure factor, did not improve the fit significantly. The shell porosity of the HNPs and the size of the pores in the HNP shell were further characterized by combining SAXS with gas adsorption methods. The above HNPs were then supported on a porous poly(ethylene oxide) scaffold by freeze drying from aqueous solution. To characterize the product, a multishell model was applied to fit the experimental SAXS curves and extract the following morphological information: distribution of HNPs between the surface and interior of the polymer, thickness of the polymer layers lining the outer and inner surfaces of HNPs, and densities of the outer and inner polymer layers. The work demonstrates the versatility of SAXS in obtaining key information on dissolved and polymer‐supported HNPs in applications such as drug delivery and catalysis.