Dynamic magnetic fields transform pivoting H2SiO3 particles to hollow microspheres with nanofibrous interior
摘要
Reorganizing the internal structures of hollow microspheres after shell sealing, without damaging the shell, remains a major challenge. Here, we show a dynamic magnetic field fluxes stirring (DMFFS) technology that can transform H2SiO3 particle to a sealed SiO2 hollow microsphere with fibrous interior within 30 s. The fibrous structure is composed of SiO2 micro-nano fibers (MNF). As dynamic magnetic field drives the SiO2 particles to rotate, the rotated SiO2 particles become magnetized along the rotation axis according to the Barnett effect. Magnetized SiO2 interacts with magnetic field to form fibers. This MNF-structured microsphere exhibits low density (0.1 g cm–3), high transparency (ca. 85.6%), superior thermal stability (1200 °C) and thermal insulation performance. Fluorescent additives can be uniformly incorporated into the MNF-structured microspheres, enabling distinctive and reproducible fluorescent functionality. In addition, a sealed SiO2 hollow microsphere with nanofibrous interior can be obtained by extending the stirring time or increasing the magnetic field strength. The DMFFS process provides an alternative route to rapidly produce mass SiO2 microspheres containing SiO2 micro/nano-sized fibers. Furthermore, our findings have provided an insight for manipulating non-magnetic materials.