Spherical particles are easy to synthesize because a sphere is a shape that minimizes surface area. Non-spherical particles, however, have properties that can be very different from spherical particles, but they are challenging to fabricate. Researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that it is possible to transform spherical polymer shells into non-spherical shapes by partially filling their interiors with oils. The polymer shells can be strained into a remarkable range of shapes with six-, five-, four- and three-fold symmetries (see figure), and then polymerized to create non-spherical particles. The method is scalable and potentially provides assess to a new class of technological materials. The biological, optical and mechanical properties of these new materials are being explored.
