Microencapsulated -octadecane with TiO2-doped silk fibroin shell for thermal energy storage and UV-shielding

The novel microencapsulated n-octadecane with TiO2-doped silk fibroin (SF) shell was synthesized using a self-assembly method in o/w emulsion. It was confirmed by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscope (FT-IR) and a three-phase contact angle that TiO2 is successfully modified by SF aqueous solution. The scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and laser scattering particle size distribution analyzer showed that the as-prepared micro capsules have regularly spherical morphology and are about 4-5 mu m in average diameter. According to differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis) measurements, the TiO2-doped microcapsule presents high thermal storage capability, enhanced thermal reliability and stability, and have good UV-shielding property. The TiO2-doped microcapsule synthesized in the present study could prove to be path-breaking and lead to further studies in the field of thermal energy storage and UV-shielding applications.