Chapter 1 - Transparent polymer nanocomposites based on two-dimensional materials and their multiple applications

Abstract

The quest for designing efficient polymer nanocomposites (PNC) offer exciting prospects for diverse applications in numerous fields ranging from energy storage, sensors, defence, coatings, transportation, optoelectronics, catalysis, and many more. The advanced applications of PNC arise because of remarkable synergistic, chemical, and nanosized effects demonstrated by functional fillers. Among several class of fillers that are used in fabricating PNC, two-dimensional (2D) materials such as nanoclays, graphene, and related materials are widely researched with excellent technological implications from laboratory to market. The widely used 2D functional fillers include modified clays, graphene oxide, boron nitride, fluorinated graphene, and more recently MXenes. The key structural, physical, and chemical features of 2D materials include large aspect ratio, high mechanical strength, lightweight, high conductivity, functional groups, and many others. Besides developing high-performance PNC, “transparent PNC” are widely investigated systems for packaging, optical, electronic, and coating applications. The prospective challenges in transparent PNC, include retention of high optical transparency with flexibility at various filler loadings. In this chapter the highlights of PNC using diverse 2D fillers, general synthetic routes, characterization and synergistic effects will be discussed. Furthermore the multifaceted applications of PNC such as high-performance gas barriers, transport properties, sensors, structural reinforcements, and many more will be highlighted. Moreover key aspects such as efficient dispersion, interfacial engineering, and efficient load transfer and processing of PNC will be discussed. This chapter presents a critical outlook at the status of high-performance transparent PNC by rapidly growing 2D materials.