Preparation of AgCl-polyacrylamide composite microspheres via combination of a polymer microgel template method and a reverse micelle technique

A new route was created for the preparation of AgCl-polyacrylamide (AgCl-PAM) composite microspheres with patterned surface structures. The route is a combination of a polymer microgel template method and a reverse micelle technique. The size of the AgCl nanoparticles existing on the surfaces of the composite microspheres and the clearness of the surface patterns of the composite microspheres can be altered by simply adjusting the amount of precipitated AgCl and the rate of the deposition reaction. The route can be also used for the preparation of other water-insoluble salt-polymer composite microspheres, such as BaSO(4)-PAM. It is expected that the composite microspheres with patterned surface structures may not only combine the advantages of polymers and those of inorganic compounds, but also combine the advantages of microspheres in the micrometer size range and those in the nanometer size range.