ABSTRACT
Polymeric nanocomposites can be considered as an important category of organicinorganic hybrid materials, in which inorganic nanoscale building blocks (e.g., nanoparticles, nanotubes, or nanometer-thick sheets) are dispersed in an organic polymer matrix [1-5]. When compared to conventional composites based on micrometer-sized fillers, the interface between the filler particles and the matrix in polymer nanocomposites constitutes a much greater area within the bulk material, and hence influences the composite’s properties to a much greater extent, even at a rather low filler loading [6-8]. Polymer nanocomposites reinforced by relatively small amounts of ultrafine nanoparticles (most often clay platelets) proved exceptionally promising engineering materials with unexpectedly high stiffness-toughness ratio, gas barrier properties, flame retardence, etc. The real interest in nanotechnology is to create revolutionary properties and functions by tailoring materials and designing devices on the nanometer scale.
