Step by step growth of complex oxide microstructures

Abstract

Synthesis of complex and hybrid oxide microstructures is of fundamental interest and practical implications. However, the design and synthesis of such structures is a challenging task. We developed a solution phase process to synthesize complex silica and silica–titania hybrid microstructures by exploiting the emulsion droplet based shape control and step by step growth. The strategy is robust and can be extended to make complex hybrid structures made of two or more materials while each having its own shape.