Silica Particle Formation in Confined Environments via Bioinspired Polyamine Catalysis at Near‐Neutral pH

Big or small, AOT can do it all! In nature, silica formation occurs at neutral to slightly acidic pH conditions with structural control over multiple length scales. Polyamine-containing emulsions and micelles are thought to play an active role in directing the growth of these structures. To mimic this process, silicic acid and poly(ethylene imine) were confined within bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT) reverse micelles (see sketch). Varying the reaction conditions yields silica particles that differ dramatically in both morphology and size.