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Special Issue "Advances in Polymer Nanocomposite Films"

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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanocomposite Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2023 | Viewed by 4424

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Prof. Dr. Teresa Cuberes

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Guest Editor

Department of Applied Mechanics and Project Engineering, Mining and Industrial Engineering School of Almaden, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Plaza Manuel Meca 1, 13400 Almadén, Spain
Interests: thin films; surface science; atomic force microscopy; scanning tunnelling microscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Girish M. Joshi

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Co-Guest Editor

Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai Marathwada Jalna, Jalna-431203, Maharashtra, India
Interests: graphene; composites; blends; gels; dielectric materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, we are witnessing remarkable developments in the field of polymer nanocomposites. The possibility of modifying polymer matrix systems by including organic, inorganic and/or hybrid fillers, consisting of individual 1D, 2D or/and 3D nano-entities that may re-assemble within the matrix, has allowed us to explore uncharted scientific effects, as well as to launch innovative domestic and industrial applications. Polymer nanocomposite films enable the development of improved batteries and fuel cells for cleaner energy production and storage, nanogenerators capable of harvesting energy, novel membranes or coatings for biomedical devices with both diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, membranes for water purification, etc., that are biodegradable and sustainable, compatible with the implementation of a circular economy. This Special Issue aims to highlight the relevance of the polymer matrix structure on polymer-filler and filler-filler interactions at different structural levels ranging from the atomic to the nano/micro scale, and their impact on the resulting properties of the polymer nanocomposites. Special attention is focused on interface and surface effects and their modification induced by external actuation.

We are pleased to invite you to present your research related to the characterization, synergistic effects, synthesis routes and high-level performance of polymer nanocomposite films. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Teresa Cuberes
Prof. Dr. Girish M. Joshi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biodegradable polymer nanocomposites
stimuli-responsive polymer nanocomposites
fractal organization in polymer nanocomposites
surface/interface modification in polymer nanocomposites
graphene-based polymer nanocomposites
nanodielectrics
microscopy on polymer nanocomposites

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

MIL-100(Fe)-Based Composite Films for Food Packaging

Alexandra M. Pak

Elena A. Maiorova

Elizaveta D. Siaglova

and

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(11), 1714; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13111714 - 23 May 2023

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Abstract

A biocompatible metal–organic framework MIL-100(Fe) loaded with the active compounds of tea tree essential oil was used to produce composite films based on κ-carrageenan and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with the uniform distribution of the particles of this filler. The composite films featured great UV-blocking properties, good water vapor permeability, and modest antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The use of metal–organic frameworks as containers of hydrophobic molecules of natural active compounds makes the composites made from naturally occurring hydrocolloids attractive materials for active packaging of food products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Nanocomposite Films)

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Open AccessArticle

Advanced Cellulose–Nanocarbon Composite Films for High-Performance Triboelectric and Piezoelectric Nanogenerators

and

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(7), 1206; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13071206 - 28 Mar 2023

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Abstract

Natural polymers such as cellulose have interesting tribo- and piezoelectric properties for paper-based energy harvesters, but their low performance in providing sufficient output power is still an impediment to a wider deployment for IoT and other low-power applications. In this study, different types of celluloses were combined with nanosized carbon fillers to investigate their effect on the enhancement of the electrical properties in the final nanogenerator devices. Cellulose pulp (CP), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were blended with carbon black (CB), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The microstructure of the nanocomposite films was characterized by scanning electron and probe microscopies, and the electrical properties were measured macroscopically and at the local scale by piezoresponse force microscopy. The highest generated output voltage in triboelectric mode was obtained from MCC films with CNTs and CB, while the highest piezoelectric voltage was produced in CNF-CNT films. The obtained electrical responses were discussed in relation to the material properties. Analysis of the microscopic response shows that pulp has a higher local piezoelectric d₃₃ coefficient (145 pC/N) than CNF (14 pC/N), while the macroscopic response is greatly influenced by the excitation mode and the effective orientation of the crystals relative to the mechanical stress. The increased electricity produced from cellulose nanocomposites may lead to more efficient and biodegradable nanogenerators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Nanocomposite Films)

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Open AccessArticle

Influence of the Graft Length on Nanocomposite Structure and Interfacial Dynamics

Anne-Caroline Genix

Vera Bocharova

Bobby Carroll

Philippe Dieudonné-George

Edouard Chauveau

Alexei P. Sokolov

and

Julian Oberdisse

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(4), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040748 - 16 Feb 2023

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Abstract

Both the dispersion state of nanoparticles (NPs) within polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) and the dynamical state of the polymer altered by the presence of the NP/polymer interfaces have a strong impact on the macroscopic properties of PNCs. In particular, mechanical properties are strongly affected by percolation of hard phases, which may be NP networks, dynamically modified polymer regions, or combinations of both. In this article, the impact on dispersion and dynamics of surface modification of the NPs by short monomethoxysilanes with eight carbons in the alkyl part (C₈) is studied. As a function of grafting density and particle content, polymer dynamics is followed by broadband dielectric spectroscopy and analyzed by an interfacial layer model, whereas the particle dispersion is investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering and analyzed by reverse Monte Carlo simulations. NP dispersions are found to be destabilized only at the highest grafting. The interfacial layer formalism allows the clear identification of the volume fraction of interfacial polymer, with its characteristic time. The strongest dynamical slow-down in the polymer is found for unmodified NPs, while grafting weakens this effect progressively. The combination of all three techniques enables a unique measurement of the true thickness of the interfacial layer, which is ca. 5 nm. Finally, the comparison between longer (C₁₈) and shorter (C₈) grafts provides unprecedented insight into the efficacy and tunability of surface modification. It is shown that C₈-grafting allows for a more progressive tuning, which goes beyond a pure mass effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Nanocomposite Films)

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Open AccessArticle

Multifunctional Cellulosic Natural Rubber and Silver Nanoparticle Films with Superior Chemical Resistance and Antibacterial Properties

Goragot Supanakorn

Siriporn Taokaew

and

Muenduen Phisalaphong

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(3), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13030521 - 28 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1098

Abstract

Composite films of natural rubber/cellulose fiber/silver nanoparticle were synthesized in a green route via the latex solution process. Hybrid cellulose filler containing carboxymethyl cellulose and cellulose microfibers was used to facilitate facile and fast preparation and to improve mechanical strength to the composites, respectively. All the composites possessed a high tensile strength of ~120 MPa, a high heat resistance of nearly 300 °C, and more than 20% biodegradability in soil in two weeks. Chemical resistance and antibacterial activity of the composite was enhanced depending on sizes and concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The composites containing 0.033–0.1% w/w AgNPs retarded toluene uptake to less than 12% throughout 8 h, whereas the composite containing 0.067–0.1% w/w AgNPs exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In comparison, 50 nm-AgNPs presented higher antibacterial activities than 100 nm-AgNPs. In vitro cytotoxicity test assessed after incubation for 24 h and 48 h revealed that almost all AgNPs-composite films exhibited non/weak and moderate cytotoxicity, respectively, to HaCaT keratinocyte cells. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Nanocomposite Films)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Application Progress of PALS in the Correlation of Structure and Properties for Graphene/Polymer Nanocomposites

and

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4161; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234161 - 24 Nov 2022

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Abstract

Giving a deep insight into the microstructure, and realizing the correlation between microstructure and properties is very important to the precise construction of high-performance graphene/polymer nanocomposites (GPN). For the promising application in microstructure characterization, much attention has been focused on the effective technique of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). Based on the introduction of the basic principle, this review summarized the application progress of PALS in the correlation of microstructure and properties for GPN, especially for the characterization of free volume and interfacial interaction, and the correlation of these microstructures and properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Nanocomposite Films)

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