Nearly Monodisperse Silica Microparticles Form in Silicone (Pre)elastomer Mixtures

The formation of silica from a tetraalkoxysilane in a sol-gel process usually requires a highly polar, typically aqueous, medium that aids in the hydrolysis of the silane and leads to electrostatic stabilization of the growing silica particles. Formation of such silica particles in a hydrophobic medium is much more challenging. We report the formation of silica microspheres within silicone oils (hydroxy-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane), …