Acrylic amide (AM) and methacrylic acid (MAA) copolymer hydrogel microspheres were prepared by reverse emulsion polymerization method. The resulting microgels were employed as template for the deposition of cuprous oxide on the surface of microgels. Using this method, the P(AM-co-MAA)/Cu2O composite microspheres were obtained. The morphology and composition of the composite microspheres materials have been characterized by SEM, FT-IR, TG and XRD, respectively. It was demonstrated that the shape of hydrogel template makes the composite material microspherical. The material is not only easy to be seperated due to the whole sphere in micron-size but also large in surface area due to inorganic componenes on the sphere in nano-size. Therefore, the prepared material has a broad application prospects, for example, constructing structral nanometer reactor, the loading catalyst as well as preparation of bactericide material.

reverse suspension polymerization technique; cuprous oxide composite materials; template method; polymer microsphere