Dual/Triple Template-Induced Evolved Emulsion for Controllable Construction of Anisotropic Carbon Nanoparticles from Concave to Convex.

Anisotropic mesoporous carbon (AMC) nanoparticles with asymmetric external morphologies, topological internal structure, and superior performance of carbon species are attracting great attention because of owning seductive features differentiating from symmetric nanoparticles. However, a bewildering challenge but crucial desire remains endowing them with flexibly tunable morphology and pore structure. Herein, a dual/triple-templating evolved emulsion strategy for tunable fabrication of AMC nanoparticles with distinctive defined structure by interface-energy induced self-assembly is first reported based on a brand-new mechanism. It describes the possible formation process of the concave-cavity structure and allows to manipulate the longitudinal and lateral sizes systematically by adjusting emulsion polarity and sodium oleate (SO) dosage, respectively. Interestingly, the internal pore structure could be rearranged into radial channels and the external morphology could realize structural transformation from concave to convex by innovatively introducing the third template n-hexanol (HA), which was unprecedented at nanoscale. Remarkably, due to the excellent properties of carbon species and unique structural characteristics, AMC nanoparticles not only demonstrated good biocompatibility, but also exhibited splendid performance in improving the dissolution and release rates of insoluble drug and enhancing the enzyme catalytic efficiency. Generally, this approach provides new inspiration and insights for expanding exquisite anisotropic nanomaterials for many potential applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.