Preparation and size control of highly monodisperse vinyl functionalized silica spheres

► Silica spheres functionalized by vinyl groups are prepared in a one-step reaction in aqueous solution. ► Our method guarantees a good monodispersity and reliable controllability of the silica spheres. ► The size of the silica spheres could be controlled by adjusting the reaction temperature. Vinyl functionalized silica spheres (VFSSs) are prepared by one-step reaction using the aqueous solution of organosilane. The synthetic method is effective and reproducible with one process used. The VFSSs could self-assemble into three-dimensional (3D) fcc photonic crystals. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations revealed that the VFSSs were highly monodisperse and their surfaces were sufficiently smooth. The size of the VFSSs could be controlled by adjusting the reaction temperature. The sphere size reached its minimum, 394nm, around 45°C and became larger when the temperature was either elevated or lowered. The maximum sphere size, 515nm, was obtained around 15°C. This work is expected to extend to the preparation and size control of other kinds of hybrid silica spheres.