Polymer Nanocomposites and Bionanocomposites

Dear Colleagues,

Bionanocomposites are an emerging class of nanostructured hybrid biomaterials, involving a bioderived or biodegradable polymer combined with organic or inorganic fillers, showing at least one dimension at the nanometric scale. These promising materials, as well as traditional nanocomposites based on fossil-fuel-derived polymers, exhibit a dramatic improvement of many properties despite the introduction of very low nanofiller loadings. Various nano-sized fillers, such as layered silicates, metal, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, carbon nanomaterials and silica nanoparticles are being developed and extensively studied in the field of polymer nanocomposites and bionanocomposites. Due to the wide number of (bio)polymer/nanofiller combinations, a very large variety of nanocomposites and bionanocomposites having tailored structural and/or functional properties and with application ranging from packaging to agriculture or automotive industry can be designed and produced. However, the performance of these class of materials is of course related to a good dispersion achieved during processing and good adhesion of the nanofiller within the polymeric matrix. However, in many cases the huge surface area, the incompatibility with the polymer matrix did not always allow obtaining the expected reinforcement of the matrix because good dispersion and good adhesion are not easy to obtain. Analytical modelling is also a useful tool to better understand and predict the composites’ mechanical properties, correlating them with filler adhesion/dispersion. This Topic collection aims to update the state of the art on the research regarding polymer nanocomposites and bionanocomposites paying particular attention to their properties and to new developments in their manufacturing and potential applications, including but not limited to the following aspects: Nanocomposites and bionanocomposites manufacturing processes; Nanocomposites and bionanocomposites properties; Main applications for nanocomposites and bionanocomposites. Therefore, we invite researchers to submit their original contributions as well as reviews on this Topic collection.

Prof. Dr. Luigi Botta
Dr. Maria Chiara Mistretta
Dr. Laura Aliotta
Dr. Vito Gigante
Topic Editors