Synthesis of Hollow Silica Nanocubes with Tuneable Size and Shape, Suitable for Light Scattering Studies
Frans Dekker 
1
Van’t Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Padualaan 8 3584 CH, The Netherlands
2
Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry & Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Colloids Interfaces 2018, 2(4), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/colloids2040044
Received: 14 August 2018 / Revised: 25 September 2018 / Accepted: 5 October 2018 / Published: 10 October 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Conference of the International Association of Colloid and Interface Scientists (IACIS 2018))
We present a preparation method for hollow silica nanocubes with tuneable size and shape in the range required for light scattering studies. Cuprous oxide nanocubes are prepared by a water-assisted polyol method. By adjusting the water content, the size of the nanocubes can be tuned in the range of 40–120 nm. These cubes function as a shape template in the subsequent coating with Stöber silica, resulting in core-shell nanocubes. Dissolving the core with nitric acid results in hollow silica nanocubes with sizes ranging from 80–120 nm and cubicity shape parameters between 3 and 6.5.
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Keywords:
nanocubes; silica; superballs; colloids; synthesis; microscopy
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MDPI and ACS Style
Dekker, F.; Tuinier, R.; Philipse, A.P. Synthesis of Hollow Silica Nanocubes with Tuneable Size and Shape, Suitable for Light Scattering Studies. Colloids Interfaces 2018, 2, 44.
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