We developed an analytical relationship between nuclear magnetic relaxation and interparticle spacings in polymer nanocomposites filled with paramagnetic-impurity-containing clay nanoparticles. Using (1)H NMR relaxometry, clay nanoparticle dispersion was quantified and agrees with interparticle spacing distributions determined from statistical analysis of TEM images. Some information on the ove...

Pt/fluorinated clay nanocomposites were prepared by clay-mediated in situ reduction; these nanocomposites demonstrated ultrahigh Pt nanoparticle thermal stability (up to 1000 °C), large BET surface area (379 m(2) g(-1)), uniform dispersion in aqueous media, and intriguing catalytic properties.

Stable hydrophobic nanocomposites of magnetic nanoparticles and clay are prepared by the self-assembly of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles on surfaces of exfoliated clay platelets. Due to the attractive interaction between hydrophobic groups, oleic acid coated nanoparticles are strongly attached to the surface of cetyl trimethylammonium cation coated clay platelets in organic media. Crystal stru...

Long hollow inorganic nanoparticle nanotubes have been synthesized by templating of block copolymer electrospun fibers with clay mineral platelets followed by interlinking of the platelets using condensation reactions.

The results of the effects of electrolyte type and concentration, nanoparticle concentration, pH, and temperature on the mobility and aqueous stability of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated silica nanoparticles are presented. Nanoparticle mobility was evaluated based on the ability to inhibit montmorillonite swelling in aqueous solutions through visual swelling tests, and the results were quantif...

In 1993, researchers at Toyota Central R&D reported that 5 wt % of an exfoliated clay could double the roomtemperature modulus of nylon-6, a semicrystalline engineering plastic, and raise its heat distortion temperature by more than 80 °Call without sacrificing toughness. That work stimulated a worldwide effort to synthesize and study polymer–matrix nanocompositesand it also highlighted the i...

In polymer nanocomposites, many researchers suspect that the weak interface between the host matrix and nanoparticles is responsible for the often observed reduction in the strain-to-failure relative to the pristine host matrix [1]. In 2004, a new test methodology [2] was proposed for observing the onset of clay-matrix debonding in transparent clay based nanocomposites, with the debonding proce...

The incorporation of nanoparticles into engineering thermoplastics affords engineers an opportunity to synthesize polymer nanocomposites that potentially rival the most advanced materials in nature. Development of these materials is difficult because thermodynamic and kinetic barriers inhibit the dispersal of inorganic, often hydrophilic nanoparticles in hydrophobic polymer matrices. Using a ne...

Amorphous polymers have been extensively used for energy dissipative applications due to their relatively low density and controllable rate dependent damping. In general, molecular mobility depends on the rate of applied loading and the ambient temperature, and results in a wide variety of mechanical properties. The variation in the macromolecular chain dynamics can be obtained by altering the ...

Copper nanoparticle based clay composite has been synthesized by in situ reduction of a copper ammonium complex ion and characterized by different analytical instruments. The copper nanoparticles were both intercalated and adsorbed on the surface with diameters of <5nm (for intercalated) and 25-30nm (for adsorbed). The composite showed good stability for over 3 months in air. Excellent antimicr...