A facile method for preparation of hollow polyphenylsilsesquioxane microspheres

Hollow polyphenylsilsesquioxane microspheres were fabricated under mild conditions from a mixture of water and phenyltriethoxysilane (PTES) with ammonia as catalyst. The pH value and the temperature of the reaction mixture are the crucial factors contributing to the formation of stable and regular polyphenylsilsesquioxane hollow spheres. A possible mechanism for the formation of hollow structure was proposed.