Nanostructured Hybrid Materials Research Articles

Block Copolymer-Directed Single-Diamond Hybrid Structures Derived from X-ray Nanotomography.

Block copolymers are recognized as a valuable platform for creating nanostructured materials. Morphologies formed by block copolymer self-assembly can be transferred into a wide range of inorganic materials, enabling applications including energy storage and metamaterials. However, imaging of the underlying, often complex, nanostructures in large volumes has remained a challenge, limiting progress in materials development. Taking advantage of recent advances in X-ray nanotomography, we noninvasively imaged exceptionally large volumes of nanostructured hybrid materials at high resolution, revealing a single-diamond morphology in a triblock terpolymer-gold composite network. This morphology, which is ubiquitous in nature, has so far remained elusive in block copolymer-derived materials, despite its potential to create materials with large photonic bandgaps. The discovery was made possible by the precise analysis of distortions in a large volume of the self-assembled diamond network, which are difficult to unambiguously assess using traditional characterization tools. We anticipate that high-resolution X-ray nanotomography, which allows imaging of much larger sample volumes than electron-based tomography, will become a powerful tool for the quantitative analysis of complex nanostructures and that structures such as the triblock terpolymer-directed single diamond will enable the generation of advanced multicomponent composites with hitherto unknown property profiles.

Sources and Extraction of Biopolymers and Manufacturing of Bio-Based Nanocomposites for Different Applications.

In the recent era, bio-nanocomposites represent an emerging group of nanostructured hybrid materials and have been included in a new field at the frontier of materials science, life sciences, and nanotechnology. These biohybrid materials reveal developed structural and functional features of great attention for diverse uses. These materials take advantage of the synergistic assembling of biopolymers with nanometer-sized reinforcements. Conversely, polysaccharides have received great attention due to their several biological properties like antimicrobial and antioxidant performance. They mainly originated in different parts of plants, animals, seaweed, and microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and yeasts). Polysaccharide-based nanocomposites have great features, like developed physical, structural, and functional features; affordability; biodegradability; and biocompatibility. These bio-based nanocomposites have been applied in biomedical, water treatment, food industries, etc. This paper will focus on the very recent trends in bio-nanocomposite based on polysaccharides for diverse applications. Sources and extraction methods of polysaccharides and preparation methods of their nanocomposites will be discussed.

Biogenic Bovine Serum Albumin/Zn3(PO4)2/Cr2O3 hybrid electrocatalyst for improved oxygen evolution reaction

The fabrication of nanostructured protein-inorganic hybrid materials is crucial for the development of advanced multifunctional materials. Protein-inorganic mesoporous composites are gaining attention due to their remarkable properties, including large surface areas and active surface functional groups. We have successfully synthesized mesoporous BSA/Zn3(PO4)2/Cr2O3 catalysts to improve the kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrocatalytic water splitting for sustainable energy generation. This approach utilizes BSA in the synthesis process and is environmentally friendly. By adjusting the BSA quantity, we could control the yield of BSA/Zn3(PO4)2/Cr2O3 mesoporous. We employed various techniques, including FE-SEM, XRD, and FTIR, to analyze the morphology and structural characteristics of the biogenic BSA/Zn3(PO4)2/Cr2O3 electrocatalyst. Our comprehensive evaluation of the electrocatalytic OER activity of the BSA/Zn3(PO4)2/Cr2O3 hybrid structure demonstrated its remarkable performance. The biologically synthesized catalyst exhibited exceptional OER efficiency, maintaining a high current density of 10 mA cm−2 at very low overpotentials (only 216 mV) under alkaline conditions. The elongated peptide backbone of BSA significantly facilitated ion and electron transport, contributing to improved OER activity. The synergistic interaction between various amino acids from BSA and the metal ions within Zn3(PO4)2/Cr2O3 can be attributed to this enhancement, highlighting the potential of this hybrid structure in electrocatalytic OER applications.

Advancements in catalysts for zero-carbon synthetic fuel production: A comprehensive review

The quest for sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources has intensified the focus on zero-carbon synthetic fuel production. Catalysts play a pivotal role in this process, enhancing the efficiency and feasibility of transforming renewable energy sources into synthetic fuels. This comprehensive review delves into recent advancements in catalyst development for zero-carbon synthetic fuel production. It examines the innovative materials and techniques that have emerged to optimize catalytic performance, including nanostructured catalysts, hybrid materials, and biomimetic approaches. The review highlights the significant progress made in understanding and manipulating catalyst properties to achieve higher activity, selectivity, and stability under various reaction conditions. It also explores the integration of advanced characterization techniques and computational modeling in catalyst design, providing insights into the molecular-level interactions and mechanisms driving catalytic processes. Special attention is given to the development of catalysts for key reactions such as water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction, and hydrogenation. The review discusses the challenges associated with scaling up these technologies and the potential environmental impacts, offering a balanced perspective on the feasibility of widespread adoption. Furthermore, the review addresses the synergistic effects of combining different catalytic materials and the potential of using earth-abundant elements to reduce costs and enhance sustainability. The role of electrochemical and photochemical catalysts in driving efficient energy conversion processes is also explored, showcasing the versatility and potential of these technologies in achieving zero-carbon fuel production. In conclusion, this review underscores the transformative potential of advanced catalysts in the quest for sustainable synthetic fuels. It provides a roadmap for future research and development, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary approaches and collaborative efforts to overcome existing challenges and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon energy landscape. The advancements in catalyst technology not only promise to revolutionize synthetic fuel production but also contribute significantly to global efforts in mitigating climate change and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Integrating renewable energy with fuel synthesis: Conceptual framework and future directions

The integration of renewable energy sources with fuel synthesis represents a transformative approach to addressing the twin challenges of energy sustainability and climate change. This review presents a conceptual framework for coupling renewable energy technologies, such as solar, wind, and biomass, with fuel synthesis processes to produce sustainable, zero-carbon fuels. The framework emphasizes the use of renewable electricity for water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction, key steps in synthesizing hydrogen and other synthetic fuels. The conceptual framework highlights the importance of advanced catalysts in enhancing the efficiency and selectivity of these chemical reactions. Innovations in nanostructured catalysts, hybrid materials, and biomimetic approaches are discussed for their potential to significantly improve the performance and durability of catalytic processes. Additionally, the framework underscores the role of advanced characterization techniques and computational modeling in understanding and optimizing catalyst behavior. This integration necessitates addressing technical challenges associated with scaling up production processes from laboratory to industrial levels. These challenges include ensuring the stability and longevity of catalysts under operational conditions, managing the intermittency of renewable energy sources, and developing robust systems for capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the economic viability of these integrated systems is critical, requiring cost-effective solutions that leverage earth-abundant materials and optimize the overall energy efficiency. The environmental benefits of integrating renewable energy with fuel synthesis are substantial, offering a pathway to significantly reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. The production of synthetic fuels using renewable energy can lead to a closed carbon cycle, thereby mitigating the impact on climate change and contributing to a sustainable energy future. Future directions in this field involve interdisciplinary research to further enhance catalyst performance, develop new materials, and refine process integration strategies. A roadmap for future development includes prioritizing areas such as improved catalyst design, efficient CO2 capture technologies, and the integration of electrochemical and photochemical systems. This abstract concludes by underscoring the transformative potential of renewable energy-fuel synthesis integration, envisioning a future where sustainable energy practices become the cornerstone of global energy systems. Keywords: Integrating, Renewable Energy, Fuel Synthesis, Future Directions, Framework.

Microphase Separation 3D Printing of Binary Inorganic Polymer Precursors to Prepare Nanostructured Carbon‐Ceramic Multimaterials

AbstractTraditionally, combining carbon and ceramic materials has been challenging due to their different chemical and physical properties. Despite the development of numerous methodologies for their synthesis, these techniques frequently necessitate intricate, multi‐stage protocols and specialized equipment. This study introduces a novel approach for fabricating nanostructured carbon‐ceramic multimaterials through polymerization‐induced microphase separation 3D printing. By combining inorganic precursors, polycarbosilane, and acrylonitrile (AN) within a photocurable resin, heterogeneous nanostructured materials composed of PAN‐preceramic and sacrificial polymer phases are 3D printed. Upon pyrolysis, PAN‐preceramic domains transformed into a carbon‐ceramic matrix while sacrificial polymer domains thermally decomposed to yield nanoscale voids. The utilization of synchrotron X‐ray spectroscopy and microscopy techniques revealed that the phase compositions and microstructure of the resulting multi‐materials are significantly influenced by the initial composition of the resins. The co‐existence of ceramic and carbon phases within a single 3D printed material brought together a combination of properties from both phases, such as the low thermal conductivity of ceramics and the relatively high electrical conductivity of carbon, along with the exceptional chemical resistance. The insights into the microstructure, atomic configuration, and property relationships of the resulting materials have broad implications for the development of multi‐phase nanostructured hybrid materials.

Dansyl fluorophore functionalized hierarchically structured mesoporous silica nanoparticles as novel latent fingerprint development agents.

A nanostructured hybrid material based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) functionalized with chitosan and a fluorescent dye (dansylglycine), designated MCM-41@Ch@DnsGly, was synthesized and characterized with a view to its application for the visualization of latent fingerprints. These nanoparticles were applied as latent fingerprint developers for marks on surfaces of diverse chemical composition, topography, optical characteristics, and spatially variant nature, typical of forensically challenging evidence. For quality assessment of the enhanced fingermarks, the developed images were analyzed holistically using the UK Home Office scale, forensic protocols and, in terms of their constituent features (minutiae), using forensic software. Across a substantive collection of marks deposited on chemically diverse surfaces and subject to complex environmental and temporal histories, 94% of the enhanced images presented sufficient minutiae for comparison with model dactyloscopy images. This novel nanomaterial presents enhanced performance with significant promise for superior exploitation by forensic practitioners in the acquisition and analysis of crime scene evidence.

Silver-integrated cobalt hydroxide hybrid nanostructured materials for improved electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction

Synthesizing Co(OH)2 with coexisting amorphous and crystalline phases showed strong electrocatalytic OER activity in the alkaline medium. The OER activity of Co(OH)2 was further improved upon the integration of AgNPs.

Hybrid Nanostructures Based of Ta2O5-PMMA for Electronic Applications

The scientific interest on hybrid materials is mainly related to understanding the types of interactions between inorganic and organic component and the effect of these interactions on the properties of the new material formed. Hybrid nanostructured materials and especially dielectrics are used for electronics (for gate layer) and especially those applicable in structure of different types of thin film transistors (TFTs).In this paper is presented the research on thin film hybrid materials based on tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) starting with inorganic precursor - tantalum ethoxide and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The chemical method sol -gel involves the precursor-tantalum ethoxide which is hydrolysed and functionalized (with special siloxane compound), and the organic methyl methacrylate monomer. The chemical reactions take place at low temperature below 160 oC. The sol is deposited as thin films by spin-coating to analyse intensity-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage curves (C-V) to determine the electric properties. Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) structures were made-up for electric characterisation. The value of leakage currents was between 10-10 - 10-7 A at ± 40 V. The hybrid films were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for thickness and morphology and for thermal stability the sol was investigated by TG and DSC.The dielectric permittivity ranges between 3.5 and 4 at 1 MHz, depending on the tantalum alkoxide: MMA molar ratio, showing good behaviour for gate layer in future TFTs.

Nonlinearity shaping in nanostructured glass-diamond hybrid materials for optical fiber preforms

Nanodiamond integration with optical fibers has proved a compelling methodology for magneto-optics. We reveal that the applicability of nanodiamonds in nonlinear optics goes beyond the previous demonstrations of frequency converters. Instead, we exploit the recently reported volumetric integration of nanodiamonds along the optical fiber core and show that the nonlinear response of glasses can be manipulated by nanodiamonds. By taking the mature z-scan approach we measure the nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction of three dielectric materials containing nanodiamonds in different concentrations and sizes. The work begins with nanodiamond-water suspensions, which offer the advantage of rapidly assessing the dependence of the nonlinear refractive index on the nano-particle concentration and size. Subsequently we investigate two fiber preforms based on silica and soft glass doped with nanodiamonds to evaluate the feasibility of nonlinearity shaping. We achieve a nearly 20% reduction of the nonlinear refractive index of fused silica containing trace amounts of nanodiamonds relative to a pristine reference. The demonstration of such a noticeable impact on the nonlinear response of the key optical material widely accepted by ultrafast optics practitioners provides a guideline for future work on the novel concept of negative nonlinearity fibers, which could disrupt the established chromatic dispersion-nonlinearity landscape.

Recent Advances on the Design and Applications of Antimicrobial Nanomaterials.

Present worldwide difficulties in healthcare and the environment have motivated the investigation and research of novel materials in an effort to find novel techniques to address the current challenges and requirements. In particular, the use of nanomaterials has demonstrated a significant promise in the fight against bacterial infections and the problem of antibiotic resistance. Metal nanoparticles and carbon-based nanomaterials in particular have been highlighted for their exceptional abilities to inhibit many types of bacteria and pathogens. In order for these materials to be as effective as possible, synthetic techniques are crucial. Therefore, in this review article, we highlight some recent developments in the design and synthesis of various nanomaterials, including metal nanoparticles (e.g., Ag, Zn, or Cu), metal hybrid nanomaterials, and the synthesis of multi-metallic hybrid nanostructured materials. Following that, examples of these materials' applications in antimicrobial performance targeted at eradicating multi-drug resistant bacteria, material protection such as microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), or additives in construction materials have been described.

New Nanostructured Materials Based on Mesoporous Silica Loaded with Ru(II)/Ru(III) Complexes with Anticancer and Antimicrobial Properties.

A new series of nanostructured materials was obtained by functionalization of SBA-15 mesoporous silica with Ru(II) and Ru(III) complexes bearing Schiff base ligands derived from salicylaldehyde and various amines (1,2-diaminocyclohexane, 1,2-phenylenediamine, ethylenediamine, 1,3-diamino-2-propanol, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine, 2-aminomethyl-pyridine, and 2-(2-aminoethyl)-pyridine). The incorporation of ruthenium complexes into the porous structure of SBA-15 and the structural, morphological, and textural features of the resulting nanostructured materials were investigated by FTIR, XPS, TG/DTA, zeta potential, SEM, and N2 physisorption. The ruthenium complex-loaded SBA-15 silica samples were tested against A549 lung tumor cells and MRC-5 normal lung fibroblasts. A dose-dependent effect was observed, with the highest antitumoral efficiency being recorded for the material containing [Ru(Salen)(PPh3)Cl] (50%/90% decrease in the A549 cells' viability at a concentration of 70 μg/mL/200 μg/mL after 24 h incubation). The other hybrid materials have also shown good cytotoxicity against cancer cells, depending on the ligand included in the ruthenium complex. The antibacterial assay revealed an inhibitory effect for all samples, the most active being those containing [Ru(Salen)(PPh3)Cl], [Ru(Saldiam)(PPh3)Cl], and [Ru(Salaepy)(PPh3)Cl], especially against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis Gram-positive strains. In conclusion, these nanostructured hybrid materials could represent valuable tools for the development of multi-pharmacologically active compounds with antiproliferative, antibacterial, and antibiofilm activity.

Conformation features and interaction of pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids immobilized with silicon dioxide: Infrared spectroscopy

Ionic liquids (ILs) based on pyrrolidinium cation, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMPyrrTFSI) and 1-butyl-1-methylpirrolidinium dicyanamide (BMPyrrN(CN)2), were incorporated into the silica matrix (SiO2, particle size about 80 nm) by a simple mixing procedure. Semitransparent phase-stable ionogels with an IL content of more than 90 wt% have been obtained and studied by FTIR spectroscopy. The analysis of microscopic mechanisms of interaction, in particular, hydrogen bonding, was carried out using the procedure of fitting the characteristic bands of pure and confined ILs. The observed changes in the position and intensity of some characteristic frequencies were interpreted in terms of the interaction of SiO2 with IL. Under confined condition, the cis–trans equilibrium of both the TFSI− anion and BMPyrr+ cation changes in favor of the trans population due to the predominant interaction of cis conformers with silica walls. This data for confined BMPyrr-based ionic liquids were obtained in our study for the first time and will be useful for designing of a new nanostructured hybrid materials with promising properties.

In Situ P-Modified Hybrid Silica–Epoxy Nanocomposites via a Green Hydrolytic Sol–Gel Route for Flame-Retardant Applications

Flame retardance of epoxy resins is usually imparted using suitable additives and/or properly modified curing agents. Herein, via a two-step green synthetic procedure, the chemical modification of the epoxy matrix with reactive silicon and phosphorus precursors is explored to obtain nanocomposites with intrinsic flame-retardant features. Nanoscale phase separation occurs in the first step, forming an inverse micelle system in which polar nanodomains act as nanoreactors for the hydrolysis of silanes (Si precursors), giving rise to silica lamellar nanocrystals (SLNCs). In the second step, inside the silica nanodomains, the formation of stable Si–O–P bonds occurs because the reactivity of phosphoric acid (P precursor) with the oxirane rings of the polymer chain is balanced by its tendency to diffuse into polar nanodomains. Intriguingly, the use of phosphoric acid alone in epoxy composite manufacturing leads to a wormlike morphology of the network, whereas its addition in the presence of silanes results in the formation of SLNCs with a thinner interlayer distance. The morphology of the hybrid Si/P–epoxy nanocomposites, comprising organic and inorganic co-continuous phases, can confer, through a prevalent mechanism in the condensed phase, interesting flame-retardant performances, namely, the absence of dripping during vertical burning tests, the formation of a large amount of coherent char after combustion, and a remarkable reduction (up to 27.7%) in the peak of heat release rate. The above characteristics make these nanostructured hybrid materials very promising for the manufacturing of epoxy systems with enhanced fire behavior (e.g., coatings, sealants, matrices for reinforced composites), even containing a low amount of specific flame retardants and thus keeping good viscoelastic properties.

Hybrid Nanostructured Materials as Electrodes in Energy Storage Devices

The global demand for energy is constantly rising, and thus far, remarkable efforts have been put into developing high-performance energy storage devices using nanoscale designs and hybrid approaches. Hybrid nanostructured materials composed of transition metal oxides/hydroxides, metal chalcogenides, metal carbides, metal–organic frameworks, carbonaceous compounds and polymer-based porous materials have been used as electrodes for designing energy storage systems such as batteries, supercapacitors (SCs), and so on. Different kinds of hybrid materials have been shown to be ideal electrode materials for the development of efficient energy storage devices, due to their porous structures, high surface area, high electrical conductivity, charge accommodation capacity, and tunable electronic structures. These hybrid materials can be synthesized following various synthetic strategies, including intercalative hybridization, core–shell architecture, surface anchoring, and defect control, among others. In this study, we discuss applications of the various advanced hybrid nanostructured materials to design efficient batteries and SC-based energy storage systems. Moreover, we focus on their features, limitations, and real-time resolutions.

Application of biohybrid silsesquioxane based material modified with methylene blue for determination of sulphite

Detecting organic and inorganic contaminants is one of the most important environmental concerns today. Consequently, the search for low-cost materials and efficient technologies for solving such a problem has increased, becoming of the utmost importance.Within this context, the present study applied a new nanostructured bioinorganic hybrid material with great potential in the field of nanotechnology: yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae chemically modified with cubic silsesquioxane. Based on voltammetric measurements with modified graphite paste electrodes with yeast/silsesquioxane and methylene blue (YSB), the value of anodic peak current decreased linearly as the concentration of sulphite increased. The limit of detection obtained was of 0.60 µmol L−1 and sensitivity amperometric (Sa) of 5.8 × 10−4 µA/mol L−1.

Natural sourced and non-toxic hybrid materials for boosting the growth of lettuce in a hydroponic system

Nanostructured hybrid materials, fabricated by combining nanosilica (n-S) obtained from rice husk and oligochitosan (OC) obtained from the shrimp shell, are environmentally friendly substances that can applied in green agriculture. In this study, 50 mg/L of nanostructured hybrid materials were applied on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia) at different stages of its growth. Most of the hybrid-material-treated lettuce plants showed better growth than that of the control. The most suitable ages for applying the hybrid material to the lettuce are the ages of three weeks (H3W1) and four weeks (H4W1) to stimulate their growth. The longest leaf of the H3W1-treated lettuce increased by 7.14%, its fresh weight by 8.51%, the numbers of leaves by 4.67%, and the content of total chlorophyll by 24.89% compared with those of the control lettuce. The longest leaf of H4W1 increased by 9.52%, its fresh weight by 26.27%, the number of leaves by 9.52%, and the total chlorophyll content by 52.87% compared with those of the control lettuce. Hence, the hybrid material could be used as a green agrochemical with a great potential in modern agriculture. It can help replace and reduce the use of toxic chemical fertilizers and plant-protection products currently used on the market.

Molybdenum oxide grafted-polyaniline nanocomposite modified ITO electrode for electrochemical sensing of arsenic oxyanion

Potentiometric sensing of oxyanions such as arsenate over self-assembly engineered and chemically responsive molybdenum dioxide grafted polyaniline (PANI/MoO3) plated ITO glass electrode has been reported. FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, STEM-mapping, Raman spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements were used to determine the impact of molecular architecture on the structure, morphology, and physical characteristics of PANI/MoO3. The obtained result implies the synthesis of a porous hybrid nanostructured material with enhanced orientated crystallinity, enhanced adsorption capacity, and responsiveness because of an optimized molecular structure and crystallinity alignment. The limit of detection (LOD) for detecting As(V) ions by using PANI/MoO3 composite/ITO electrodes based on the differential pulse voltammetry technique (DPV) was found to be around 0.15 ppb. The interaction between arsenate and molybdate oxyanions led to the development of an induced potential, which helped to clarify the sensing mechanism, charge transfer, and shifting characteristics. For the on-site detection of residual arsenate in diverse environmental samples, the analytical performance of the produced electrode in a genuine sample was also investigated.

Molten Salt-Assisted Catalytic Preparation of MoS2/α-MoO3/Graphene as High-Performance Anode of Li-Ion Battery

We report on the facile and scalable catalytic conversion of natural graphite and MoS2 minerals into α-MoO3 nanoribbons incorporated into hexagonal MoS2 and graphene nanosheets, and evaluate the structural, morphological and electrochemical performances of the hybrid nanostructured material obtained. Mechanochemical treatment of raw materials, followed by catalytic molten salt treatment leads to the formation of nanostructures with promising electrochemical performances. We examined the effect of processing temperature on the electrochemical performance of the products. At 1100 °C, an excellent Li-ion storage capacity of 773.5 mAh g−1 is obtained after 180 cycles, considerably greater than that of MoS2 (176.8 mAh g−1). The enhanced capacity and the rate performance of this electrode are attributed to the well-integrated components, characterized by the formation of interfacial molybdenum oxycarbide layer during the synthesis process, contributing to the reduced electrical/electrochemical resistance of the sample. This unique morphology promotes the charge and ions transfer through the reduction of the Li-ion diffusion coefficient (1.2 × 10−18 cm2 s−1), enhancing the pseudocapacitive performance of the electrode; 59.3% at the scan rate of 0.5 mV s−1. This article provides a green and low-cost route to convert highly available natural graphite and MoS2 minerals into nanostructured hybrid materials with promising Li-ion storage performance.

From old to new inorganic materials for advanced applications: The paradigmatic example of the sepiolite clay mineral

This review article focuses on sepiolite fibrous clay mineral, which has been selected here as an example of an ancient inorganic natural material that is currently receiving much attention as excellent candidate for advanced materials and applications. Sepiolite clay is an abundant hydrated magnesium silicate whose crystal structure determines the presence of nanoporous cavities as well as large surface and rheological properties of great interest for the further design of functional materials. The present work introduces and discusses the relationship between aspects of this clay, in terms of its structural and morphological organization, and its physicochemical characteristics from which emerging applications arise. One of the sections is devoted to describe current industrial applications of commercially available sepiolite-based materials. As sepiolite can be considered a nanomaterial by itself, approaches including its controlled chemical and physical modifications intended to develop new advanced inorganic and hybrid nanostructured materials provided with pre-designed functionalities. Among them, polymer nanocomposites that include bionanocomposites and carbon-sepiolite nanomaterials, materials for adsorption of pollutants, functionalization with magnetic nanoparticles, active phase of sensors and DNA support for gene transfer are some of the examples that we refer to in the present review article.