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Polymers
Special Issues
Next-Generation Smart Polymer Nanocomposites: Fabrication and Applications
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Next-Generation Smart Polymer Nanocomposites: Fabrication and Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2026) | Viewed by 955

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sivanjineyulu Veluri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland
Interests: polymer crystallization; polymer blends and composites; bio-nanocomposites; sustainable materials science; nanofillers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Juan Pedro Fernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IMDEA Materials Institute, C/Eric Kandel 2, Getafe, 28906 Madrid, Spain
Interests: polymer composites; nanocomposites; thermomechanical properties; polymer crystallization; 3D printing; additive manufacturing; phase transition; carbon fibers; glass fibers; biocomposites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is devoted to the advanced study of polymer nanocomposites. These materials exhibit exceptional properties, a dramatic improvement over conventional microcomposites, granting them significant potential for transformative industrial applications. However, their nanoscale fillers introduce profound challenges in processing, characterization, and predicting long-term behavior. Critical aspects like morphology, rheology, and degradation kinetics are not yet fully elucidated, hindering widespread commercialization.

This Special Issue aims to address these gaps by presenting cutting-edge research and the current progress in understanding and harnessing the capabilities of these novel polymeric systems for future technological advances. Research articles and review papers are encouraged.

Dr. Sivanjineyulu Veluri
Dr. Juan Pedro Fernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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

  • polymer nanocomposite
  • smart materials
  • processing
  • functional composites

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 7525 KB  
Article
Effect of Silica- and Cellulose-Based Nanofillers in Poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate)-Based Composites
by Camilla Ferretti, Miriam Cappello, Patrizia Cinelli, Damiano Rossi, Nicolas Sbirrazzuoli, Giovanna Molinari, Maria Cristina Righetti and Maurizia Seggiani
Polymers 2026, 18(2), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18020189 - 9 Jan 2026
Viewed by 623
Abstract
In an effort to reduce global dependence on fossil-based polymers and advance toward a more sustainable materials industry, research over recent decades has increasingly focused on the development of bio-based polymers and broadening their potential applications. Within this context, the present study investigates [...] Read more.
In an effort to reduce global dependence on fossil-based polymers and advance toward a more sustainable materials industry, research over recent decades has increasingly focused on the development of bio-based polymers and broadening their potential applications. Within this context, the present study investigates nanocomposites based on poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA), reinforced with two types of nanofillers: silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). The main objective of this work is to examine how the morphology, geometry, and chemical nature of the nanofillers influence the thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties of PBSA, as well as its biodegradability. For each nanofiller, three formulations were prepared, containing 1, 2, and 5 wt% of filler, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed good dispersion and minimal aggregation in the SiO2-based systems, whereas marked aggregation was observed in the CNF-based samples. Thermal analysis indicated that the intrinsic thermal properties of neat PBSA were largely preserved. Mechanical testing revealed improvements in both the elastic modulus and elongation at break for most nanocomposite samples. In particular, CNFs provided the most consistent reinforcing effect, with enhancements of approximately 40% in the elastic modulus (495.4 vs. 356.4 GPa in neat PBSA) and 52% in elongation at the break (185.1 vs. 122.0% in neat PBSA) with 5 wt% loading. Additionally, the incorporation of nanofillers did not alter the surface hydrophilicity, but it did improve the oxygen barrier performance and enhanced disintegration under composting conditions. Overall, these findings demonstrate the promising potential of PBSA-based nanocomposites for sustainable rigid packaging applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Next-Generation Smart Polymer Nanocomposites: Fabrication and Applications)
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