Supraparticles with silica protection for redispersible, calcined nanoparticles.

Calcination of nanoparticles is always accompanied by undesired sintering. A calcination route preventing hard-agglomeration to bulk lumps, which is transferable to almost any kind of metal oxide nanoparticle, is developed by surrounding targeted nanoparticles by silica nanoparticles within a nanostructured microparticle. After calcination, the desired nanoparticles are regained as a monodisperse sol via silica dissolution.