Beyond smectite-based nanocomposites

Nowadays, investigation on polymer-clay nanocomposites is already a well-established area of research that attracts scientists from both basic and applied research fields. For many years, smectites were the chosen clay for the preparation of those nanocomposites but now other types of clays minerals, such as kaolinite, nanotubular halloysite or microfibrous sepiolite and palygorskite are increasingly used in the preparation of polymer-clay nanocomposites.  Additionally, polymers of natural origin are more and more employed in the development of the so-called bionanocomposites or green nanocomposites.  In this way, the use of special clays and/or biopolymers make possible the incorporation of new properties and functionalities in the resulting nanocomposites. This session intends to be a forum for the latest research on nanocomposites focusing on innovative advances related to materials based not only on smectites but also on other types of clay minerals from kaolinite to fibrous clays, as well as related materials (e.g., layered double hydroxides), involving both synthetic and natural polymers.