Site-Selective TiO₂ Coating on Asymmetric Patchy Particles

The successful fabrication of TiO₂-faced asymmetric patchy particles consisting of polystyrene and a Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ part is described. Such particles can be of large interest for photochemistry. The used site-selective coating approach demonstrates a modification strategy for a special patchy particle family which may have a general character. The stability of the coating has been tested under several conditions with no sign of disruption. The influence of the prepared asymmetric particles on oil/water phase mixing behavior was tested and turned out to be very diverse. Oils with low polarity (e.g., hexadecane, cyclohexane, octadecane) can form Pickering emulsions by the help of these particles; oils with high polarity (e.g., 1-octanol) form monodisperse macrodroplet systems with unusual stability.