Synthesis and Characterization of Porous Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Silica Microcapsules for Applications in Agriculture

Yeela Elbaz, Taly Iline-Vul, Aviv Dombrovsky, Ayelet Caspi, Shlomo Margel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Silica (SiO2) particles are widely used in various industries due to their chemical inertness, thermal stability, and wear resistance. The present study describes the preparation and potential use of porous hydrophobic and hydrophilic SiO2 microcapsules (MCs) of a narrow size distribution. First, various layers of SiO2 micro/nano-particles (M/NPs) were grafted onto monodispersed polystyrene (PS) microspheres of a narrow size distribution. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic sintered SiO2 MCs were then prepared by removing the core PS from the PS/SiO2 core–shell microspheres by burning off under normal atmospheric conditions or organic solvent dissolution, respectively. We examined how the size and quantity of the SiO2 M/NPs influence the MC’s properties. Additionally, we utilized two forms of hollow SiO2 MC for different applications; one form was incorporated into polymer films, and the other was free-floating. The hydrophobic microcapsules filled with 6% hydrogen peroxide were effective in killing the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The hydrophilic microcapsules filled with thymol and thin coated onto polypropylene films were successfully used to prevent mold formation for hay protection.

Original languageEnglish
Article number4621
JournalMaterials
Volume17
Issue number18
DOIs
StatePublished - 20 Sep 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.

Keywords

  • hay protection
  • hydrogen peroxide
  • silica microcapsules
  • thin coating
  • thymol

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