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Preparation, Characterization, and Application of Polymer Composite and Nanomaterials

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 3950

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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Chung-Li, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan
Interests: nanomaterials; adsorption; porous carbon materials; proton exchange membrane fuel cells; proton exchange membrane water electrolysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Composite materials are widely used in various fields because of their excellent comprehensive properties, especially the designability of their properties, and nanocomposites are the most attractive part. Nanocomposite material refers to a composite material with a nanoscale component and a nanoscale effect. It mainly includes nanoparticles, nanorods, nanospheres, nanofibers, nanocrystals, and carbon nanotubes.

This special issue focuses on the Preparation, Characterization, and Application of Polymer Composite and Nanomaterials, whose final applications include industry, sensors, biomedicine, food, packaging, and other related fields. The purpose of this special issue is to collect original research articles, reviews, and communication articles on nanocomposites. The special issue will bring together research and recent findings to create new opportunities for the development of advanced nanocomposites.

Prof. Dr. Yu-Chun Chiang
Guest Editor

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 2700 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

  • nanocomposites
  • nanomaterials
  • nanostructures
  • nanoparticles
  • nanorods
  • nanospheres
  • nanofibers
  • nanotubes

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 6798 KiB  
Article
Graphene Oxide-Enhanced and Dynamically Crosslinked Bio-Elastomer for Poly(lactic acid) Modification
by Bingnan Zhou, Cunai Zheng, Ruanquan Zhang, Shuyuan Xue, Botuo Zheng, Hang Shen, Yu Sheng and Huagui Zhang
Molecules 2024, 29(11), 2539; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29112539 - 28 May 2024
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Abstract
Being a bio-sourced and biodegradable polymer, polylactic acid (PLA) has been considered as one of the most promising substitutes for petroleum-based plastics. However, its wide application is greatly limited by its very poor ductility, which has driven PLA-toughening modifications to be a topic [...] Read more.
Being a bio-sourced and biodegradable polymer, polylactic acid (PLA) has been considered as one of the most promising substitutes for petroleum-based plastics. However, its wide application is greatly limited by its very poor ductility, which has driven PLA-toughening modifications to be a topic of increasing research interest in the past decade. Toughening enhancement is achieved often at the cost of a large sacrifice in strength, with the toughness–strength trade-off having remained as one of the main bottlenecks of PLA modification. In the present study, a bio-elastomeric material of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) crosslinked with sebacic acid (SA) and enhanced by graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles (NPs) was employed to toughen PLA with the purpose of simultaneously preserving strength and achieving additional functions. The even dispersion of GO NPs in ESO was aided by ultrasonication and guaranteed during the following ESO-SA crosslinking with GO participating in the carboxyl–epoxy reaction with both ESO and SA, resulting in a nanoparticle-enhanced and dynamically crosslinked elastomer (GESO) via a β-hydroxy ester. GESO was then melt-blended with PLA, with the interfacial reaction between ESO and PLA offering good compatibility. The blend morphology, and thermal and mechanical properties, etc., were evaluated and GESO was found to significantly toughen PLA while preserving its strength, with the GO loading optimized at ~0.67 wt%, which gave an elongation at break of ~274.5% and impact strength of ~10.2 kJ/m2, being 31 times and 2.5 times higher than pure PLA, respectively. Moreover, thanks to the presence of dynamic crosslinks and GO NPs, the PLA-GESO blends exhibited excellent shape memory effect and antistatic properties. Full article
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Review

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30 pages, 3770 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Polymer Nanocomposites: Unveiling the Frontier of Shape Memory and Self-Healing Properties—A Comprehensive Review
by Huma Jamil, Muhammad Faizan, Muhammad Adeel, Teofil Jesionowski, Grzegorz Boczkaj and Aldona Balčiūnaitė
Molecules 2024, 29(6), 1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29061267 - 13 Mar 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3157
Abstract
Shape memory and self-healing polymer nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention due to their modifiable properties and promising applications. The incorporation of nanomaterials (polypyrrole, carboxyl methyl cellulose, carbon nanotubes, titania nanotubes, graphene, graphene oxide, mesoporous silica) into these polymers has significantly enhanced their performance, [...] Read more.
Shape memory and self-healing polymer nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention due to their modifiable properties and promising applications. The incorporation of nanomaterials (polypyrrole, carboxyl methyl cellulose, carbon nanotubes, titania nanotubes, graphene, graphene oxide, mesoporous silica) into these polymers has significantly enhanced their performance, opening up new avenues for diverse applications. The self-healing capability in polymer nanocomposites depends on several factors, including heat, quadruple hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, Diels–Alder reactions, and metal–ligand coordination, which collectively govern the interactions within the composite materials. Among possible interactions, only quadruple hydrogen bonding between composite constituents has been shown to be effective in facilitating self-healing at approximately room temperature. Conversely, thermo-responsive self-healing and shape memory polymer nanocomposites require elevated temperatures to initiate the healing and recovery processes. Thermo-responsive (TRSMPs), light-actuated, magnetically actuated, and Electrically actuated Shape Memory Polymer Nanocomposite are discussed. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the different types of interactions involved in SMP and SHP nanocomposites and examines their behavior at both room temperature and elevated temperature conditions, along with their biomedical applications. Among many applications of SMPs, special attention has been given to biomedical (drug delivery, orthodontics, tissue engineering, orthopedics, endovascular surgery), aerospace (hinges, space deployable structures, morphing aircrafts), textile (breathable fabrics, reinforced fabrics, self-healing electromagnetic interference shielding fabrics), sensor, electrical (triboelectric nanogenerators, information energy storage devices), electronic, paint and self-healing coating, and construction material (polymer cement composites) applications. Full article
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