Template synthesis of hydrogel composite hollow spheres against polymeric hollow latex

Hierarchically structured hydrogel hollow spheres with functional hydrogels located at desired sites are expected to have new properties. We have developed a facile swelling polymerization route using a polymer hollow sphere as template to synthesize hierarchically structured hydrogel hollow spheres. It is significant to pre-swell the template shell with good solvents, such as chloroform containing oil-soluble initiators to control interaction, thus, polymerization locus of different water-soluble functional monomers. Some representative hydrogel composite hollow spheres such as poly(N-isopropylarylamide) and poly(acrylic acid) with different morphologies have been synthesized. Hydrogels with functional groups can favorably complex with desired materials; hierarchically structured inorganic or polymer composite hollow spheres are synthesized by a sol–gel process of the inorganic precursor by using different hydrogel composite hollow spheres as templates.