There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

http://staff.ulsu.ru/moliver/ref/polymers/pott11.pdf

Graphene-based polymer nanocomposites

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are carbon-based chemical substances that are resistant to environmental degradation and may not be completely removed through treatment processes. Their persistence can contribute to adverse health impacts on wild-life and human beings. Thus, the solar photocatalysis process has received increasing attention due to its great potential as a green and eco-friendly process for the elimination of POPs to increase the security of clean water. In this context, ZnO nanostructures have been shown to be prominent photocatalyst candidates to be used in photodegradation owing to the facts that they are low-cost, non-toxic and more efficient in the absorption across a large fraction of the solar spectrum compared to TiO 2 . There are several aspects, however, need to be taken into consideration for further development. The purpose of this paper is to review the photo-degradation mechanisms of POPs and the recent progress in ZnO nanostructured fabrication methods including doping, heterojunction and modification techniques as well as improvements of ZnO as a photocatalyst. The second objective of this review is to evaluate the immobilization of photocatalyst and suspension systems while looking into their future challenges and prospects.

A review of ZnO nanoparticles as solar photocatalysts: Synthesis, mechanisms and applications

Thermal stability and flame retardancy of polyurethanes

Mechanistic implications of plastic degradation

Surface modification of inorganic nanoparticles for development of organic–inorganic nanocomposites—A review

Cellulose macro- and nanofibers have gained increasing attention due to the high strength and stiffness, biodegradability and renewability, and their production and application in development of composites. Application of cellulose nanofibers for the development of composites is a relatively new research area. Cellulose macro- and nanofibers can be used as reinforcement in composite materials because of enhanced mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation properties of composites. Cellulose fibers are hydrophilic in nature, so it becomes necessary to increase their surface roughness for the development of composites with enhanced properties. In the present paper, we have reviewed the surface modification of cellulose fibers by various methods. Processing methods, properties, and various applications of nanocellulose and cellulosic composites are also discussed in this paper.

/pdf/cellulose-based-bio-and-nanocomposites-a-review-5484pyqycf.pdf

Cellulose-Based Bio- and Nanocomposites: A Review

Polymer/montmorillonite nanocomposites with improved thermal properties Part I. Factors influencing thermal stability and mechanisms of thermal stability improvement

Polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane (POSS)-based hybrid polymers have generated much interest recently, both from the academic and industrial points of view. POSS are completely defined molecules of nanoscale dimensions that may be functionalized with reactive groups suitable for the synthesis of new organic–inorganic hybrids, thus providing the opportunity to design and build materials with extremely well-defined dimensions possessing nanophase behavior. POSS have been successfully incorporated into common polymers via copolymerization, grafting or blending. A variety of POSS-containing copolymers have been prepared and they have displayed great potential in the development of a wide range of hybrid nanomaterials with diverse properties. This work has critically evaluated the recent developments in syntheses of POSS polymer materials leading to POSS nanocomposites. The syntheses of POSS cages, monomers containing POSS cages, POSS-dendrimers' cores, POSS-containing polymers (nanobuilding blocks) and POSS nanocomposites are described in detail. This work also assesses the properties of POSS nanobuilding blocks that can be otherwise used for developing nanocomposites. Such properties include mechanical, thermal, flame-retardant and viscoelastic properties. Investigations into the structure, morphology and compatibility of POSS nanobuilding blocks have been reviewed. Other properties covered include the ion-mobility and swelling characteristics as well as porosity of POSS nanobuilding blocks. Lastly, existing and possible future applications are highlighted and final conclusions are drawn.

James Njuguna

Papers

Surface modification of inorganic nanoparticles for development of organic–inorganic nanocomposites—A review

Cellulose-Based Bio- and Nanocomposites: A Review

Polymer/montmorillonite nanocomposites with improved thermal properties Part I. Factors influencing thermal stability and mechanisms of thermal stability improvement

Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS)-Containing Nanohybrid Polymers

Thermal degradation of polymeric materials