Polyamide microcapsules were coated with TiO2 by liquid phase deposition (LPD), yielding hybrid capsules of polymer and partially crystalline TiO2 at 50degreesC. Characterization was carried out by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. By oxidative decomposition of the polymer purely ceramic spheres with diameters of 10 mum and a wall thickness of 200 nm were obtained, the structural integrity of the capsules was maintained throughout the burnout. (C) 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.