A hybrid nanocomposite combines two or more chemically distinct phases, at least one of which has a dimension below one hundred nanometres, so that the interface occupies a large fraction of the total volume [1]. The filler may be inorganic, organic or itself a hybrid, and the property that shifts most is the one governed by the boundary: thermal conductivity, gas sensitivity or stiffness [2]. Because the interfacial area per unit mass grows as the filler shrinks, a loading of a few per cent by volume already changes the response, and the percolation threshold falls as the aspect ratio rises [1]. Biological composites reproduce the same architecture at a larger scale, where mineral platelets in a protein matrix give stiffness without losing toughness [3]. Aggregation of the filler removes the interface the design depends on, so the dispersion state is reported alongside the loading [2].
- multiphase material
- polymer nanocomposite
- interfacial area
- percolation threshold
- dispersion state
References
- Ji, B.; Gao, H.; Mechanical Principles of Biological Nanocomposites. Annual Review of Materials Research 2010, 40, 77-100, 10.1146/annurev-matsci-070909-104424.
- Berwal, P.; Sihag, S.; Rani, S.; Kumar, A.; Jatrana, A.; Singh, P.; Dahiya, R.; Kumar, A.; Dhillon, A.; Sanger, A.; et al. Hybrid Metal Oxide Nanocomposites for Gas-Sensing Applications: A Review. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2023, 62, 14835-14852, 10.1021/acs.iecr.3c02288.
- Hegde, M.; Chandrashekar, A.; Gopi, J.A.; Parameswaranpillai, J.; Prabhu, T.N.; Kotresh, T.; Progress in thermally conducting elastomer nanocomposites and hybrid nanocomposites: A comprehensive review. Applied Materials Today 2025, 44, 102727, 10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102727.