Polystyrene /TiO2 nanotubes composite microspheres fabricated via Pickering emulsion polymerization stabilized by TiO2 nanotubes

TiO2 nanotube prepared via the hydrothermal method was modified with KH-570 and then the modified TiO2 nanotube was used as an emulsifier to fabricate PS/TiO2 nanotube composite microspheres via Pickering emulsion polymerization. The TiO2 nanotubes and composite microspheres were characterized by IR, optical microscope, HRTEM, FESEM and XPS. The surface wettability of TiO2 was measured with contact angle meter. When the value of mKH-570/mTiO2 was 0.15, the modified TiO2 nanotube possessed the best surface wettability and it could satisfactorily stabilize the St-in-water Pickering emulsion polymerization. And then the composite microspheres with PS nucleus and dense, homogeneous TiO2 nanotubes shells could be obtained via Pickering emulsion polymerization.