Polymer/nanodisk nanocomposite: futuristic vision toward advanced materials

ABSTRACT

Nanodisk is a two-dimensional disk-like nanostructure. It has a size varying from a few nm to 500 nm. Nanodisk exists in both inorganic and organic forms as graphene nanodisk, carbon nanodisk, and inorganic nanodisk. These nanostructures gained significance as exceptional nanofillers for polymers. Nanodisk nanofillers have been filled in thermoplastic and conducting polymeric matrices such as polyaniline, polythiophene derivatives, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylates, polystyrene, and copolymers. This review deliberates scientific tribunals on design, fabrication, and characteristics of polymer/nanodisk nanocomposites. These nanomaterials have a unique morphology, conducting, mechanical, and other physical properties. Application areas of polymer/nanodisk nanocomposites have been identified for photovoltaic, photocatalyst, biomedical fields.

Graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Nanodisk
• nanofiller
• polymer
• nanocomposite
• photovoltaic

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ayesha Kausar

Ayesha Kausar has experience of working at National Centre for Physics, Islamabad, Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, and National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan. She obtained her PhD from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad/KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology), Graduate School of EEWS, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. Her research interests include: synthesis, characterization and structure-property relationships of new polymeric materials; synthesis of nanomaterials including organic–inorganic nanocomposites/hybrid materials; polymeric blends via incorporating nanoparticles into thin polymer films; exploring practical and potential prospects of the novel synthesized materials (new polymers and nanomaterials) counting morphological, mechanical, thermal, electrical, conducting, etc.; flame retardant materials; proton conducting fuel cell membranes; nanocomposites for polymer Li-ion battery electrodes; composites based on electrospun nanofibers; production of various polymeric nanoparticles and their composites for solar cells; polymer/carbon nanotube/nanoparticle composites for water treatment; potential of polymer/graphite nanocomposites; polymer/graphene hybrids; polymer/fullerene nanomaterials; fabrication of epoxy-based nanocomposite for various applications; radar absorbing materials; aerospace relevance, and other technical relevances.