Preface
-
Published:23 Jun 2021
-
Special Collection: 2021 ebook collectionSeries: Inorganic Materials Series
Two-dimensional Inorganic Nanomaterials for Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites, ed. C. Wan, X. Huang, and C. Bowen, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2021, pp. P006-P007.
Download citation file:
The development of functional, flexible and lightweight products is needed to meet the high demand for modern applications that range from microelectronics to energy storage devices. The majority of existing polymers are thermal and electrical insulators, which hinders their application in these areas. The conductivity of polymers has the potential to be significantly enhanced by the incorporation of conducting inorganic nanoparticles. The conductivity of polymer nanocomposites not only relies on the structure and function of the inorganic particles, but is also strongly determined by the morphology and dispersion of the nanoparticles, interfacial interactions and fabrication technologies used to create the composites.
A particularly new area for polymer nanocomposites is two-dimensional (2D) inorganic nanomaterials. These materials have found important applications for emerging energy technologies, due to their unique combination of electrochemical, electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical properties. 2D inorganic nanomaterials with ultrathin layered structures at single- or few-atom thicknesses have shown wide tunability of conductivity, large surface-to-volume ratio and good degree of functionalisation. This book covers a number of important 2D nanomaterials, from dielectric high-κ ceramics, thermally conductive boron nitride, electrical/thermal conductive graphene and MXenes, transition metal dichalcogenides, phosphorene, ionic exchangeable layered double hydroxides to hybrid fillers. The functionalisation and applications of 2D nanomaterials in polymer nanocomposites are discussed critically. In each chapter, an overview of the synthesis and surface modification methods of the nanoplatelets is presented and the current technical challenges in polymer nanocomposite manufacturing, such as nanoparticle dispersion, orientation and interfacial interactions, are addressed. The synergy of the inorganic nanoplatelets and polymer properties is discussed, with a focus on thermal conductivity, ionic conductivity and electrical properties.
The book will therefore highlight many recent developments in the synthesis, chemistry and applications of two-dimensional inorganic nanoplatelets in polymer nanocomposites. The conductive polymer nanocomposites have found a broad range of applications in the areas of batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, solar cells and the electronics industry.
We believe this book will provide a much-needed overview in this fast-developing area of contemporary inorganic materials science, and includes a historical context and overview of the fundamentals of the subject. This will provide advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and other researchers with a convenient introduction to this fascinating topic.
Chaoying Wan