Intercalation polymerization

Polymer-layered nanocomposites are made of the alternation of inorganic slabs and polymer layers. They may be obtained through (1) the synthesis of the mineral slabs from soluble precursors in a macromolecular solution, (2) mineral slab exfoliation and their subsequent restacking after adsorption of macromolecules (encapsulative precipitation), (3) the direct intercalation of macromolecules in the interslab space, (4) the intercalation of monomer molecules and their in situ simultaneous or subsequent polymerization. In this article, the main layered inorganic lattices, which readily undergo intercalation reaction, and the corresponding intercalation driving forces are described. The synthesis of polymer-layered nanocomposites are presented essentially from the viewpoint of the polymer chemist. The polymerization mechanisms, the molecular weight distribution, and the interslab arrangement of the intercalated macromolecules are discussed. Among the original properties of such polymer-layered nanocomposites, a special emphasis is made on their enhanced ionic or electron conductivity and their thermal stability