Metal oxide/polymer nanocomposites: A review on recent advances in fabrication and applications

ABSTRACT

Inorganic metal oxide nanoparticles of different structure can be combined with the polymers, giving nanocomposites of diverse structure with interesting physicochemical properties and application potentials. This review covers the fundamental science, synthesis, surface functionalization, characterization, and physicochemical properties various metal oxide nanostructures and the strategies for their incorporation into the polymer matrices. An overview of the recent developments and applications of metal oxide nanoparticle/polymer nanocomposite have been presented. The review typically summarizes the significant developments over the past half‒decade and discusses them critically, presenting selected examples, and bringing together many important references of primary literature.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Nanoparticle
• nanocomposite
• nanohybrid materials
• metal oxide
• functionalization
• processing

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amin Zadehnazari

Amin Zadehnazari is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University. He obtained his Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry in 2008 and his Ph.D. degree in Organic Polymer Chemistry from the Isfahan University of Technology (Isfahan, Iran) in 2013. His Ph.D. works were conducted at Polymer Chemistry Laboratory at Isfahan University of Technology, under the supervision of Dr. Shadpour Mallakpour. There, he specialized in polymer thin film synthesis and characterization, especially thermally resistant and mechanically stable composite coatings, and other type of surface modification, and the fabrication of green polymers from natural resources under safe conditions like ionic liquids and microwave irradiation as new technology. Since May 2022, he works at Laboratory of Chemistry and Food Sciences, led by Dr. Alireza Abbaspourrad. His current research interest and activities focuses on exploring the structural and functional diversity of Photoactive Crystalline Porous Organic Polymers (PCPOP) and Covalent Organic Frameworks (COF) and their application for water remediation and purification, and toxic gas and temperature sensing.