Sol-gel microspheres doped with glycerol: a structural insight in light of forthcoming applications in the polyurethane foam industry.

ABSTRACT: Porous silica-based microspheres encapsulating aqueous glycerol can be potential curing agents for one-component foams (OCFs). Such agents have the advantage of an enhanced sustainability profile on top of being environmentally friendly materials. A synthetically convenient and scalable sol-gel process was used to make silica and organosilica microspheres doped with aqueous glycerol. These methyl-modified silica microspheres, named "GreenCaps", exhibit remarkable physical and chemical stability. The microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy at reduced pressure, and cryogenic nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis. The structure of the materials was also analyzed at the molecular level by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform

SUBMITTER: Ciriminna R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4420583 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature