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Fukui, Yuuka, Kaori Fujino, and Keiji Fujimoto. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 666 (2023): 131319.
Dimethicone was utilized as a non-ionic surfactant to stabilize water-in-oil (W/O) miniemulsions for the one-pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and their encapsulation into polymer matrices. To prepare the oil phase, 1 g of dimethicone was dissolved in 25 g of cyclohexane. The aqueous phase consisted of 3 g of an aqueous HAuCl₄ solution mixed with either 1-vinylpyrrolidone (VP) or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), with or without the crosslinker N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAAm).
The two phases were first stirred at 25 °C for 1 hour to form a macroemulsion, followed by ultrasonication (200 W, 10 min, ice bath) to generate nanodroplets, serving as confined reactors. Gold ions were reduced directly within the droplets due to the presence of dimethicone, producing 10-20 nm AuNPs.
For polymer encapsulation, an oil-soluble initiator (V-601) was added to the oil phase, and the emulsion was stirred under an inert atmosphere at 65 °C for 5 h. Alternatively, a water-soluble initiator (VA-061) was preloaded into the aqueous phase for HEMA-based systems. Adjusting initiator and crosslinker concentrations improved gelation and encapsulation efficiency.
This process enabled the uniform production of AuNP-loaded polymer nanoparticles, showcasing dimethicone's dual role as emulsifier and reductant in functional nanomaterial synthesis.
Wang, Haiyang, et al. Ceramics International 41.3 (2015): 4959-4965.
Dimethicone was employed as the oil phase in an improved emulsion microencapsulation method to fabricate millimeter-scale Al₂O₃ ceramic hollow spheres. In this approach, stable oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions were first prepared by injecting dimethicone (dispersed phase) and alumina sol (continuous phase) into a self-designed T-shaped microchannel using precision syringe pumps. After removing air and optimizing flow rates, uniform emulsion droplets were continuously generated and collected in a dimethicone-filled container.
The collected droplets were then subjected to a rotary evaporation process at 100 °C for 12 h. During rotation along horizontal semicircular tracks, water within the droplets evaporated while dimethicone remained encapsulated inside, resulting in solidified Al₂O₃ gel hollow spheres. These intermediate gel spheres were washed thoroughly with diethyl ether and dried.
Subsequent thermal treatment included two-step calcination: pre-sintering at 300 °C for 4 h (1 °C/min ramp) and final sintering at 1200 °C for 4 h (3 °C/min ramp). This process yielded robust Al₂O₃ ceramic hollow spheres with controlled wall thickness (30-100 μm) and diameters ranging from 600-2500 μm. XRD confirmed the predominant formation of α-Al₂O₃ phase.
This case demonstrates dimethicone's critical role as a stable oil phase in droplet formation and cavity generation, enabling a novel and scalable route for synthesizing ceramic hollow spheres with potential applications in Inertial Confined Fusion (ICF) target fabrication.
Liu, Quan, et al. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 12.3 (2024): 112913.
Dimethicone served as a critical oil bath medium in the synthesis of amine hybrid silica aerogel globules (AHSAG) designed for CO₂ capture, including direct air capture (DAC). The synthesis was based on a self-catalyzed sol-gel process coupled with wet casting.
A precursor solution containing tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), ethanol, and deionized water was prepared at 0 °C with vigorous stirring. This solution was then dropped through a silicone tube into a dimethicone bath maintained at 80 °C and stirred at 600 ± 50 rpm. The elevated temperature and agitation of the dimethicone bath accelerated gelation kinetics and prevented droplet aggregation or deformation by keeping them suspended during the gelation process.
Globules formed within 3 minutes were retrieved from the dimethicone bath and washed with hot water to remove residual surface oil. This was followed by solvent exchange using ethanol over 72 hours and final drying through supercritical CO₂ fluid extraction at 50 °C and 10 MPa for 6 hours.
Dimethicone's unique thermal stability and immiscibility with the aqueous sol-gel system enabled precise control of globule shape and gelation kinetics, ensuring uniform, deform-free aerogel spheres. This case highlights dimethicone's essential role in producing structurally consistent, high-performance AHSAG materials for sustainable carbon capture technologies.
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