Mesoporous Metal Oxide Microspheres and Method for Forming Same
AssigneeStc.Unm
InventorsDimiter N. Petsev, Erin Derbins, Sergio Mendez, Shailendra Rathod, Nick Carroll, David A. Weitz
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a method for forming populations of monodisperse porous silica particles. Also provided are monodisperse populations of porous silica particles, an array of physically connected monodisperse porous silica particles and a microfluidic device for forming populations of monodisperse porous silica particles.
Claims20
A method for forming a monodisperse population of mesoporous metal oxide particles comprising:
- providing a microfluidic device comprising one central and two side channels, a point of convergence between the three inlet channels and an outlet channel extending away from the point of convergence;
- delivering a sol-dispersed aqueous phase comprising a metal oxide precursor solution mixed with a templating molecule to the central inlet channel in the microfluidic device;
- delivering an oil continuous phase to the two side inlet channels in the microfluidic device;
- allowing the aqueous phase and oil continuous phase to emulsify at the junction and form droplets within the microfluidic device;
- collecting the droplets;
- allowing the droplets to polymerize, thereby forming particles;
- separating the particles from the oil;
- and
- removing the templating molecule to form a monodisperse population of mesoporous metal oxide beads.
An array of monodisperse microporous metal oxide beads joined by interconnected metal oxide bridges formed during polymerization of the beads.
A population of monodisperse microporous metal oxide beads formed by performing the steps of:
- providing a microfluidic device comprising one central and two side channels, a point of convergence between the three inlet channels and an outlet channel extending away from the point of convergence;
- delivering a sol-dispersed aqueous phase comprising a metal oxide precursor solution mixed with a templating molecule to the central inlet channel in the microfluidic device;
- delivering an oil continuous phase to the two side inlet channels in the microfluidic device;
- allowing the aqueous phase and oil continuous phase to emulsify at the junction and form droplets within the microfluidic device;
- collecting the droplets;
- allowing the droplets to polymerize, thereby forming particles;
- separating the particles from the oil;
- and
- removing the templating molecule to form a monodisperse population of mesoporous metal oxide beads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.