Nanocomposites - Classification Types, Potential Applications, Interactions and Novel Nanocomposites

Nanocomposites - Classification Types, Potential

Applications, Interactions and Novel
Nanocomposites
Topics Covered
What are Nanocomposites?
Classification of Nanocomposites
The Emergence of New Materials with Novel Properties
The Different Types of Framework Systems for Inorganic Components
Industry Applications for Nanocomposites
Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposites and Lamellar Nanocomposites
Benefits of Studying the Interactions of Nanocomposites
Inorganic Layered Materials - Properties and Uses
The Two Types of Lamellar Nanocomposites: Intercalated Nanocomposites and Exfoliated Nanocomposites
Studying the Lamellar Class of Intercalated Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposites
Combining the Diverse Properties of Nanocomposites and Building Heterostructures of Inorganic Layers
Novel Nanocomposites Designed by the Department of Chemistry at Michigan State University

What are Nanocomposites?

The definition of nanocomposite material has broadened significantly to encompass a large variety of systems such as onedimensional, two-dimensional, three-dimensional and amorphous materials, made of distinctly dissimilar components and mixed at
the nanometer scale.

Classification of Nanocomposites
The general class of nanocomposite organic/inorganic materials is a fast growing area of research. Significant effort is focused on
the ability to obtain control of the nanoscale structures via innovative synthetic approaches. The properties of nanocomposite
materials depend not only on the properties of their individual parents, but also on their morphology and interfacial characteristics.

The Emergence of New Materials with Novel Properties

This rapidly expanding field is generating many exciting new materials with novel properties. The latter can be derived by
combining properties from the parent constituents into a single material. There is also the possibility of new properties which are
unknown in the parent constituent materials.

The Different Types of Framework Systems for Inorganic

Components
The inorganic components can be three-dimensional framework systems, such as zeolites; two-dimensional layered materials,
such as clays, metal oxides, metal phosphates, chalcogenides; and even one-dimensional and zero-dimensional materials, such
as (Mo3Se3-)n, chains and clusters.

Industry Applications for Nanocomposites

Experimental work has generally shown that virtually all types and classes of nanocomposite materials lead to new and improved
properties, when compared to their macrocomposite counterparts. Therefore, nanocomposites promise new applications in many
fields such as mechanically-reinforced lightweight components, non-linear optics, battery cathodes and ionics, nanowires, sensors
and other systems.

Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposites and Lamellar Nanocomposites

The general class of organic/inorganic nanocomposites may also be of relevance to issues of bio-ceramics and biomineralization,

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Nanocomposites - Classification Types, Potential Applications, Interactions and Novel Nanocomposites

in which in-situ growth and polymerization of biopolymer and inorganic matrix is occurring. Finally, lamellar nanocomposites
represent an extreme case of a composite in which interface interactions between the two phases are maximized.

Benefits of Studying the Interactions of Nanocomposites

Since the remarkable properties of conventional composites are mainly due to interface interactions, the materials dealt with here
could provide good model systems in which such interactions can be studied in detail using conventional bulk sample (as opposed
to surface) techniques. By judiciously engineering the polymer-host interactions, nanocomposites may be produced with a broad
range of properties.

Inorganic Layered Materials - Properties and Uses

Inorganic layered materials exist in great variety. They possess well defined, ordered intralamellar space potentially accessible by
foreign species. This ability enables them to act as matrices or hosts for polymers, yielding interesting hybrid nanocomposite
materials.

The Two Types of Lamellar Nanocomposites: Intercalated

Nanocomposites and Exfoliated Nanocomposites
Lamellar nanocomposites can be divided into two distinct classes, intercalated and exfoliated. In the former, the polymer chains
alternate with the inorganic layers in a fixed compositional ratio and have a well defined number of polymer layers in the
intralamellar space. In exfoliated nanocomposites, the number of polymer chains between the layers is almost continuously
variable and the layers stand >100 apart. The intercalated nanocomposites are also more compound-like because of the fixed
polymer/layer ratio, and they are interesting for their electronic and charge transport properties. On the other hand, exfoliated
nanocomposites are more interesting for their superior mechanical properties.

Studying the Lamellar Class of Intercalated Organic/Inorganic

Nanocomposites
Our work focuses on the lamellar class of intercalated organic/inorganic nanocomposites and namely those systems that exhibit
electronic properties in at least one of the components. This subclass of nanocomposites offers the possibility of obtaining well
ordered systems some of which may lead to unusual electrical and mechanical properties. Selected members of this class may be
amenable to direct structural characterization by standard crystallographic methods. An important issue in this area is the few
structural details that are available, therefore, any system which can be subjected to such analysis is of interest.

Combining the Diverse Properties of Nanocomposites and

Building Heterostructures of Inorganic Layers
Nanocomposites also offer the possibility to combine diverse properties which are impossible within a single material, e.g. flexible
mechanical properties and superconducting properties. This work is now in its infancy, and we propose to carry out extensive
investigations in the next funding period. Another exciting aspect is the possibility of creating heterostructures composed of
different kinds of inorganic layers, which could lead to new multifuntional materials.

Novel Nanocomposites Designed by the Department of Chemistry

at Michigan State University
In the past, we have focused our efforts on creating such materials with conjugated and saturated organic macromolecules. We
have developed several general synthetic routes for inserting polymer chains into host structures, and have designed many novel
nanocomposites.
These include:
In-situ intercalative polymerization (ISIP) of a monomer using the host itself as the oxidant. The rationale behind intercalative
polymerization is that host matrices with high electron affinity can oxidatively polymerize appropriate monomers in their interior.
Monomer intercalation followed by topotactic intralamellar solid state polymerization. This route creates conjugated polymers

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Nanocomposites - Classification Types, Potential Applications, Interactions and Novel Nanocomposites

inside non-oxidizing hosts.

Direct precipitative encapsulation of polymer chains by colloidally dispersed single layers of a host. This approach gives access
to a large variety of nanocomposites with many kinds of polymers and hosts.

Source: The Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University.

For more information on this source please visit the Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University.
Date Added: Jun 27, 2005 | Updated: Jun 11, 2013

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