Polymer Composite Films Research Articles

Modified nano-SiO2/PU hydrophobic composite film prepared through in-situ coupling by KH550 for oil-water separation.

In this study, hydrophobic polymer composite films based on polyurethane (PU) were prepared for oil-water separation. Hydrophilic fumed silica (nano-SiO2) was introduced as reinforcing filler, and silane coupling agent (KH550) was used to crosslink PU with nano-SiO2 in situ for enhancing the nano-SiO2 dispersion in the films. The microscopic morphology, crystalline structure, and hydrophobic properties of the films were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, water contact angle, and water absorption tests. The results showed that the hydrophobicity of the nano-SiO2/PU composite films increased with the addition of nano-SiO2. KH550 not only significantly promoted the crosslink action between PU and nano-SiO2 but also enhanced the dispersion of nano-SiO2 in the composite films. Moreover, the pore structure of the prepared films was changed with the addition of nano-SiO2 and KH550, which greatly improved the hydrophobicity. The test results for oil-water separation performance showed that the prepared composite films can efficiently separate the oil from oil-water mixtures with good repeatability.

Curcumin-Loaded Bioactive Polymer Composite Film of PVA/Gelatin/Tannic Acid Downregulates the Pro-inflammatory Cytokines to Expedite Healing of Full-Thickness Wounds.

Curcumin (Cur) entrapped poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/gelatin composite films were prepared by cross-linking with tannic acid (TA) as bioactive dressings for rapid wound closure. Films were evaluated for mechanical strength, swelling index, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), film solubility, and in-vitro drug release studies. SEM revealed uniform and smooth surfaces of blank (PG9) and Cur-loaded composite films (PGC4). PGC4 exhibited excellent mechanical strength (tensile strength (TS) and Young's modulus (YM) were 32.83 and 0.55 MPa, respectively), swelling ability (600-800% at pH 5.4, 7.4, and 9), WVTR (2003 ± 26), and film solubility (27.06 ± 2.0). Sustained release (81%) of the encapsulated payload was also observed for 72 h. The antioxidant activity determined by DPPH free radical scavenging showed that the PGC4 possessed strong % inhibition. The PGC4 formulation displayed higher antibacterial potential against S. aureus (14.55 mm zone of inhibition) and E. coli (13.00 mm zone of inhibition) compared to blank and positive control by the agar well diffusion method. An in-vivo wound healing study was carried out on rats using a full-thickness excisional wound model. Wounds treated with PGC4 showed very rapid healing about 93% in just 10 days post wounding as compared to 82.75% by Cur cream and 80.90% by PG9. Furthermore, histopathological studies showed ordered collagen deposition and angiogenesis along with fibroblast formation. PGC4 also exerted a strong anti-inflammatory effect by downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6 were lowered by 76% and 68% as compared to the untreated group, respectively). Therefore, Cur-loaded composite films can be an ideal delivery system for effective wound healing.

Massively Parallel Aligned Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Nanofibrils in All-Organic Dielectric Polymer Composite Films for Electric Energy Storage

It is a formidable challenge to combine the performance advantages of linear and nonlinear polymer dielectrics for developing all-organic film capacitors with high energy density and low loss. In this work, massively parallel aligned poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibrils were in situ fabricated for the first time in the polyethylene (PE) matrix via a multistage stretching technology involving hot stretching and solid-state stretching at an elevated temperature. The largely enhanced interfacial area of PVDF nanofibrils could effectively induce interfacial polarization, imparting PE composite films with a high dielectric constant of 4.50. More interestingly, the nanoconfinement effect of PVDF nanofibrils greatly restricted the migration of free electrons and impurity ions, and an impressive breakdown strength of 624 MV m–1 was obtained. As a result, the as-prepared PE/PVDF composite films exhibited an attractive discharged energy density of as high as 6.4 J cm–3, which was more than 10 times of the conventional counterparts, and outperformed the current linear dielectric polymers. The ingenious structure design of in situ nonlinear dielectric nanofibrils provides a promising approach to maximize the advantageous polarizations and minimize the disadvantageous polarizations in the linear and nonlinear polymer dielectric blends, achieving all-organic polymer dielectric composite films with high energy density and low loss.

Investigation of Physochimechal and Biological Properties of Composite Sodium Alginate for Tissue Engineering

The current study involves synthesis of a composite films of sodium alginate (Alg), polyvinylalcohol and NanoGraphene oxide (GO) for tissue engineering applications. Solvent casting was used to make the polymeric composite films (Alg-Pva-Go), which may exhibit a synergic activity of the components for tissue repair. The influence of various GO concentrations on the films properties was also investigated. The scaffold has outstanding physicochemical and biological properties. The composite film's high swelling degree and contact angle reveals its high hydrophilicity, making it appropriate for tissue engineering. The antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus were studied. Furthermore, the antimicrobial test showed that the films composite was resistant to S. aureus. Seeding (AD-MSC) cells into the composite films exhibited an increase in cell adhesion and proliferation when compared to the Alginate and Polyvinylalcohol film in vitro experiments, indicating that the GO has a good influence on the films characteristics, which can utilization in tissue engineering applications.

Preparation of Expanded-Graphite Reinforced Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Polyvinyl pyrrolidone/Poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid) hydrogel films, Investigation of Swelling, Metal Adsorption, and Thermal Properties

ABSTRACT The aim of the study is to demonstrate a simple process of expanded-graphite reinforced Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Polyvinyl pyrrolidone/Poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid) (PVA/PVP/P(AA-co-MA)-G) hydrogel composites. Firstly, PVA/PVP/P(AA-co-MA) blend polymer film is prepared. Polymer composite films are obtained by adding expanded graphite (G) at %10, 20%, and 30%. The network structure formed by the mixture of polymers gave the product obtained hydrogel character. The swelling capacities of hydrogel and hydrogel composite films are determined by the “filtration” method. 1. Fick’s law is used to model the swelling behavior of gels. The adsorbents selectively adsorb Cd2+, Cr3+, and Ag+ ions in the metal mixture well.

Facile Method for the Preperation of a Stable, and High Performance UV-Vis Photodetector with Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl):PCBM Composite Polymer

A high performance and stable UV-Vis hybrid photodetector with P3HT:PCBM composite polymer film encapsulated with a micro thin layer of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is reported. The hybrid P3HT:PCBM composite junction was chractarized with several tools. XRD revaled the presence of both P3HT and PCBM polymer in the The hybrid P3HT:PCBM composite junction. Furthermore, the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectrometers reveal that the absorption and emission of the hybrid P3HT:PCBM composite junction have significantly enhanced compared with that of the pure P3HT film, and PCBM. In addition. the hybrid photodetector shows a low-level dark current (0.13 nA), a high-level light current (IL = 0.13 nA), an ON/OFF ratio (2.69×106), a responsivity (R = 7.11 A/W), and a specific detectivity (D* = 3.32×1013 J). The responsivity of the hybrid was improved by 4 times in magnitudes compared with that of the pure PCBM and the P3HT. this result pave the way for utlizing the hybrid P3HT:PCBM composite junction in enhncing performance of optolectronics.

Utilizing Toray Paper as a Metal‐Free, High Surface Area Electrode for Photosystem I–Driven Mediated Electron Transfer

One challenge in capitalizing on the affordability, sustainability, and accessibility of biohybrid solar energy conversion, including devices based on Photosystem I (PSI), is the identification of metal‐free electrode materials to replace the inorganic substrates commonly found in solar cell development. Herein, commercially available Toray carbon paper (CP) is investigated as a high surface area, carbon electrode for the development of photoactive bioelectrodes consisting of PSI and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). Mediated anodic photocurrent is achieved at both PSI multilayer and PSI–polymer composite films on CP electrodes subjected to flame pretreatment. Film preparation is optimized by utilizing potential sweep voltammetry in place of potentiostatic conditions for polymerization. The optimized PSI–PEDOT:PSS films achieve a threefold increase in polymer growth under potential sweep conditions, quantified through net charge consumed during electropolymerization, resulting in a fourfold increase in photocurrent density (−53 vs −196 nA cm−2). The ability to prepare photoactive PSI‐polymer films on metal‐free CP electrodes opens the door to a rapidly scalable system for biohybrid energy production ultimately leading to more affordable, sustainable, and accessible energy.

Preparation of lead hexaferrite filled PVA- PVP nanocomposite and a study of its structural features, optical and dielectric properties

Polymer blend films based on PVA-PVP filled with PbFe12O19 hexa-ferrites nanoparticles were created by solution casting technique. XRD, HRTEM, FESEM, FTIR, UV–vis spectroscopy and Broad-band dielectric spectroscopy were used to examine the properties of the prepared polymer composite films. X-ray diffraction pattern of the powder confirmed the formation of PbFe12O19 with hexagonal phase and that for the films confirmed the incorporation of the PbFe12O19 nanoparticles in the PVA-PVP blends. HRTEM confirms the formation of hexagonal nanoparticles with average size ranged from 7 nm to 21 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) studied the morphology of the nanocomposite films. There are noticeable variations in FT-IR spectra that confirm the incorporation of PbFe12O19, NPs in PVA-PVP blend. The absorbance was found to increase with red shift in the ultraviolet-visible region while the transmittance decreases with increasing PbFe12O19, nanoparticles. By incorporating, PbFe12O19 the direct optical gap and indirect optical gap gradually decreased from 5.20 eV to 4.44 eV and 4.97 eV to 4.34 eV, respectively while the Urbach energy increases from 0.274 eV to 0.678 eV. According to the Wemple-Didomenico single oscillator model, the optical dispersion parameters have been examined and are found to be strongly affected by PbFe12O19, loading. Additionally, the nanocomposite film containing 7.5% PbFe12O19, demonstrated outstanding optical shielding. The complex dielectric constant (ε*), complex electric modulus (M*) and electrical conductivity, of NCPs materials have been studied with the frequency changing from 0.1 Hz to 10 MHz. The real permittivity () of PVA-PVP blend polymer film increased while the real electric modulus (M′) is found to decrease by the incorporation of PbFe12O19, nanoparticles up to 2.5 wt.% and the imaginary component of permittivity follows the same pattern of The examined nanocomposite films show promise for flexible optoelectronics, photosensors, optical shielding and nano-dielectric materials.

Dielectric Spectroscopy of Ferroelectric Crossbred PVDF–TiO<sub>2</sub> Polymer Composite Thin Films

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ferroelectric polymer blend with titanium dioxide (TiO2) is synthesized in the form of thin films by solution casting method. The synthesized PVDF-TiO2 composite films with a different wt% of TiO2 (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) as fillers in the PVDF matrix were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of PVDF-TiO2 composite films confirmed the existence of a β-phase PVDF, uniform distribution of TiO2 particles in the polymer matrix and the crystallinity of the polymer composites was found to be enhanced. The SEM micrograph depicts the augmentation in the structural density due to the addition of TiO2 particles in the PVDF matrix. The dielectric constant of the PVDF-TiO2films is found to be an anomaly at lower frequencies and decreases with an increase in frequency agreeing with the Maxwell–Wagner type of interfacial polarization. The enhancement in the dielectric constant of PVDF-TiO2 composites at lower frequencies suggests that the prepared polymer composite thin films are useful as separator membranes in energy storage devices.

Ultra-small α-CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots with stable, bright and pure red emission for Rec. 2020 display backlights.

The synthesis of α-CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) with pure red emission around 630 nm is in high demand for display backlight application. However, the phase transition of α-CsPbI3 to yellow non-emitting δ-CsPbI3 has been proven to be a great challenge for the classic colloidal synthesis route for perovskite QDs in octadecene (ODE). Herein, we report a novel colloidal synthesis route by replacing ODE with lauryl methacrylate (LMA) as the reaction solvent to improve the solubility of precursors, resulting in small sized α-CsPbI3 QDs with a diameter of only 4.2 nm, which are the smallest red PQDs reported so far. The corresponding CsPbI3 QD films exhibit a tunable photoluminescence (PL) emission peak in the bright pure red region of 627 to 638 nm. The CsPbI3 QD polymer composite films with PL emission at 630 nm exhibit a superior photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and photostability to mixed halide CsPbBrI2 films under intense illumination. Perovskite light emitting diodes (LED) with the color gamut reaching 96% of the Rec. 2020 standard are achieved using these films. This study provides a high-performance pure red fluorescent material with a robust, low-cost, and reproducible colloidal chemistry that will pave the way for the adoption of perovskite QDs in display backlight application.

Photogenerated charge separation at BiVO4 photoanodes enhanced by a Ag-modified porphyrin polymer skeleton.

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has been considered a promising photoactive material in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting systems. However, the performance of BiVO4-based photoanodes is currently unsatisfactory, indicating the need for new architectural designs to improve their efficiency. In this paper, a porphyrin-phosphazene polymer (THPP-HCCP) was synthesized with a sizeable conjugated structure, and Ag particles were deposited on its surface as an organic-inorganic composite interface improvement layer. The deposition of the composite polymer film on BiVO4 resulted in a significant increase in photocurrent density, reaching up to 2.2 mA cm-2 (1.23 V vs. RHE), almost three times higher than pristine BiVO4, which benefits from the synergistic effect of Ag nanoparticles and porphyrin-phosphazene. Furthermore, photophysical and intensity-modulated photocurrent analysis demonstrated that the Ag-THPP-HCCP heterostructures could broaden the light-absorbing range and facilitate hole transfer to the semiconductor surface, resulting in an improved water oxidation process. The dynamic charge transport behavior of Ag-THPP-HCCP/BiVO4 was investigated using scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy, which showed that the rate constant (Keff) exhibits an almost 4-fold increase compared to pristine BiVO4, indicating a significant improvement in the transport of photogenerated holes. This experiment presents a novel strategy for designing high-efficiency polymer-based photoanodes.

Synthesis of MAPbBr3 -Polymer Composite Films by Photolysis of DMF: Toward Transparent and Flexible Optical Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) with Hierarchical Multilevel Complexity.

Physical entities with inherent randomness have been investigated as anti-counterfeiting labels based on physical unclonable functions (PUFs). Herein, a transparent and flexible optical PUF label associated with multilevel complexity is demonstrated by taking advantage of the optical properties of hierarchical morphologies of the composite film composed of metal halide perovskite nanoparticles (MAPbBr3 NPs) and the intrinsic spinodal-decomposition-like phase separation of polymer blend (PMMA/PS blend). Due to the combinatorial effects of the photolysis synthesis of MAPbBr3 and the thermodynamic instability of the PMMA/PS blend, randomized patterns emerge at two-level scales. These patterns are intrinsically non-deterministic, and therefore, the PUF labels from the multilevel random patterns are challenging to replicate. This is mainly attributed to random spot patterns (higher-level patterns) confined within intricate bicontinuous patterns (lower-level patterns).

A Ferroelectric Aminophosphonium Cyanoferrate with a Large Electrostrictive Coefficient as a Piezoelectric Nanogenerator.

Hybrid materials possessing piezo- and ferroelectric properties emerge as excellent alternatives to conventional piezoceramics due to their merits of facile synthesis, lightweight nature, ease of fabrication and mechanical flexibility. Inspired by the structural stability of aminophosphonium compounds, here we report the first A3 BX6 type cyanometallate [Ph2 (i PrNH)2 P]3 [Fe(CN)6 ] (1), which shows a ferroelectric saturation polarization (Ps ) of 3.71 μC cm-2 . Compound 1 exhibits a high electrostrictive coefficient (Q33 ) of 0.73 m4 C-2 , far exceeding those of piezoceramics (0.034-0.096 m4 C-2 ). Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) analysis demonstrates the polarization switching and domain structure of 1 further confirming its ferroelectric nature. Furthermore, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) polymer composite films of 1 were prepared and employed as piezoelectric nanogenerators. Notably, the 15 wt % 1-TPU device gave a maximum output voltage of 13.57 V and a power density of 6.03 μW cm-2 .

Utilization of different wood-based microfibril cellulose for the preparation of reinforced hydrophobic polymer composite films via Pickering emulsion: A comparative study

Pickering emulsion is a promising strategy for the preparation of hydrophobic polymer composite using hydrophilic nanocellulose. Herein, two types of microfibril cellulose, pure mechanical pretreated microfibril cellulose (P-MFC) and Deep eutectic solvents pretreated microfibril cellulose (DES-MFC), were used to fabricate reinforced hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) composites (MFC/PS) with the aid of Pickering emulsion. The results showed that both oil/water ratio and the content as well as surface hydrophilicity of MFC were playing an important role in emulsifying capacity. 8 % MFC/PS emulsion showed the smallest and most uniform emulsion droplets which is similar to nanofibril cellulose (NFC)/PS at the oil/water ratio of 3:1. The mechanical performance of MFC/PS composites verified that the reinforcement effect was closely related to the emulsifying capacity of MFC. Specially, when the content of P-MFC was 8 wt%, the composite exhibited the best mechanical properties with the tensile strength of 44.7 ± 4.4 MPa and toughness of 1162 ± 52.8 kJ/m3 and Young's modulus of 13.5 ± 0.8 GPa, which was comparable to NFC/PS composite. Moreover, the effective enhancement role of P-MFC in hydrophobic polymethyl methacrylate and polycarbonate composites were also realized via Pickering emulsion strategy. Overall, this work constituted a proof of concept of the potential application of P-MFC in nano-reinforced hydrophobic composite.

A Ferroelectric Aminophosphonium Cyanoferrate with a Large Electrostrictive Coefficient as a Piezoelectric Nanogenerator

AbstractHybrid materials possessing piezo‐ and ferroelectric properties emerge as excellent alternatives to conventional piezoceramics due to their merits of facile synthesis, lightweight nature, ease of fabrication and mechanical flexibility. Inspired by the structural stability of aminophosphonium compounds, here we report the first A3BX6 type cyanometallate [Ph2(iPrNH)2P]3[Fe(CN)6] (1), which shows a ferroelectric saturation polarization (Ps) of 3.71 μC cm−2. Compound 1 exhibits a high electrostrictive coefficient (Q33) of 0.73 m4 C−2, far exceeding those of piezoceramics (0.034–0.096 m4 C−2). Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) analysis demonstrates the polarization switching and domain structure of 1 further confirming its ferroelectric nature. Furthermore, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) polymer composite films of 1 were prepared and employed as piezoelectric nanogenerators. Notably, the 15 wt % 1‐TPU device gave a maximum output voltage of 13.57 V and a power density of 6.03 μW cm−2.

Considering Electrospun Nanofibers as a Filler Network in Electrospun Nanofiber-Reinforced Composites to Predict the Tensile Strength and Young's Modulus of Nanocomposites: A Modeling Study.

In this study, a simple approach was described to investigate the theoretical models for electrospun polymer nanofiber-reinforced nanocomposites. For predicting the tensile strength of the electrospun nylon 6 nanofiber-reinforced polyurethane acrylate composites, conventional Pukanszky, Nicolais-Narkis, Halpin-Tsai, and Neilson models were used, while for Young's modulus, Halpin-Tsai, modified Halpin-Tsai, and Hui-Shia models were used. As per the Pukanszky model, composite films showed better interaction since the values of the interaction parameter, B, were more than 3. Similarly, the value of an interfacial parameter, K, was less than 1.21 (K = -5, for the curve fitting) as per the Nicolais-Narkis model, which indicated better interfacial interaction. For composite films, the modified Halpin-Tsai model was revised again by introducing the orientation factor, α, which was 0.333 for the randomly oriented continuous nanofiber-reinforced composites, and the exponential shape factor, ξ = (2l/d)e-avf-b, which showed the best agreement with the experimental Young's modulus results. Based on mentioned remarks, these models would be applicable for estimating the tensile strength and Young's modulus of electrospun nanofiber-reinforced polymer composite films.

Multifunctional Thermally Conductive Composite Films Based on Fungal Tree‐like Heterostructured Silver Nanowires@Boron Nitride Nanosheets and Aramid Nanofibers

AbstractThermal conduction for electronic equipment has grown in importance in light of the burgeoning of 5G communication. It is imperatively desired to design highly thermally conductive fillers and polymer composite films with prominent Joule heating characteristics and extensive mechanical properties. In this work, “solvothermal & in situ growth” method is carried out to prepare “Fungal tree”‐like hetero‐structured silver nanowires@boron nitride nanosheet (AgNWs@BNNS) thermally conductive fillers. The thermally conductive AgNWs@BNNS/ANF composite films are obtained by the method of “suction filtration self‐assembly and hot‐pressing”. When the mass fraction of AgNWs@BNNS is 50 wt%, AgNWs@BNNS/ANF composite film presents the optimal thermal conductivity coefficient of 9.44 W/(m ⋅ K) and excellent tensile strength of 136.6 MPa, good temperature‐voltage response characteristics, superior electrical stability and reliability, which promise a wide application potential in 5G electronic devices.

Multifunctional Thermally Conductive Composite Films Based on Fungal Tree-like Heterostructured Silver Nanowires@Boron Nitride Nanosheets and Aramid Nanofibers.

Thermal conduction for electronic equipment has grown in importance in light of the burgeoning of 5G communication. It is imperatively desired to design highly thermally conductive fillers and polymer composite films with prominent Joule heating characteristics and extensive mechanical properties. In this work, "solvothermal & in situ growth" method is carried out to prepare "Fungal tree"-like hetero-structured silver nanowires@boron nitride nanosheet (AgNWs@BNNS) thermally conductive fillers. The thermally conductive AgNWs@BNNS/ANF composite films are obtained by the method of "suction filtration self-assembly and hot-pressing". When the mass fraction of AgNWs@BNNS is 50 wt%, AgNWs@BNNS/ANF composite film presents the optimal thermal conductivity coefficient of 9.44 W/(m ⋅ K) and excellent tensile strength of 136.6 MPa, good temperature-voltage response characteristics, superior electrical stability and reliability, which promise a wide application potential in 5G electronic devices.

Acoustic-assisted 3D printing based on acoustofluidic microparticles patterning for conductive polymer composites fabrication

Multifunctional composites have been widely utilized in soft robots, electronics, batteries, and biomedicine. Meanwhile, several fabrication processes have been proposed to fabricate these functional composites with desired mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and thermal properties. However, patterning functional micro/nanomaterials such as particles, dots, wires, and fibers into complex designs with high spatial resolutions in a matrix remains a technical challenge. Herein, we present an acoustic-assisted 3D printing method enabled by standing surface acoustic waves (SSAWs). The proposed SSAWs-assisted patterning method produces diverse patterning forms of micro/nanomaterials and has almost no special requirements on micro/nanomaterials properties, indicating its great versatility and compatibility. Functional materials are assembled into desired stripe-like, net-like, and dot-like patterns. Multilayer composites with different patterns in each layer are even fabricated through a layer-by-layer printing process. To further demonstrate the potential of this 3D printing method, conductive polymer composite films with programmed electrical anisotropies are printed, yielding a maximum electrical conductivity of 827 S/m. The proposed acoustic-assisted patterning method makes the 3D printing of complex functional composites with customized properties possible, pushing the wide application of functional composites forward.

Effect of Phase Heterogeneity on the Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Composite Pervaporation Membranes.

The structure, thermophysical characteristics, and pervaporation properties of composite membranes based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) are studied in dependence of the film preparation conditions. It is shown that the nature of the supramolecular organization of the composite polymer film determines which of the components of the separated mixtures of toluene and heptane predominantly penetrate through the corresponding pervaporation membrane. The observed structural effects can become more pronounced if the second component of a polymer mixture is purposefully selected (in this case, poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) instead of poly(acrylic acid)) or a nano-sized filler that can be well dispersed in the polymer matrix is introduced. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes are introduced into binary PVA-containing polymer blends. The influence of these fillers on the structure and transport properties of the obtained membranes is studied.