Ionic liquid mediated auto-templating assembly of CaCO3-chitosan hybrid nanoboxes and nanoframes

Herein we report an innovative approach using ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride) mediated auto-templating assembly of CaCO3 and chitosan to produce well-defined hollow inorganic-organic nanoboxes and nanoframes. By varyin g experimental conditions, size and shell-thicknesses of hollow nanostructures can be adjusted from 200 to 400 nm and 15 to 75 nm, respectively.