A review on new mesostructured composite materials: Part II. Characterization and properties of polymer–mesoporous silica nanocomposite

Abstract

Hybrid inorganic–organic materials are promising systems for a variety of applications due to their extraordinary properties with intricate composite architectures composed of nanoscale inorganic moieties with organic polymers synergistically intertwined to provide both useful functionality and mechanical integrity. These materials have a high potential for future applications and therefore attract considerable interest in polymer science research during the last years. Among the various explored inorganic nanostructures, the mesoporous silica has been considered as a fascinating material to construct novel ordered and well-dispersed nanocomposites due to their high surface areas, periodic and size-controllable pore channels. This review is written with the intention to give an overview of the characterization and material properties of polymer–mesoporous silica nanocomposites. Among polymer–mesoporous silica composites, various categories including polyaniline, polypyrrole, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, epoxy, rubber, and acrylate polymer were discussed in detail.