Nanoparticle-Dispersed Semiconducting Polymers for Electronics

This chapter focuses on the blends and multilayers of a variety of nanoparticles and conjugated polymers. However, it must be mentioned that there has been a large amount of research in the last two decades on nanocomposites of conventional polymers [19]. Polymer nanocomposites in this context are generally defined as the combination of a polymer matrix resin and inorganic particles that have at least one dimension, i.e., length, width, or thickness, in the nanometre size range. Typical of this class of materials is the nanocomposite which researchers at Toyota Co., discovered in the 1980s polyamide 6 

The shapes of the particles used in nanocomposites can be roughly spherical, fibrillar or platelets, and each shape will result in different properties. For maximum reinforcement, platelets or fibrillar particles would be used, since reinforcement efficiency is related to the aspect ratio (length/diameter. Lid). The most extensive research has been performed with layered silicates, which provide a platelet reinforcement [19]. 

The first-generation conducting polymers have been used as the supporting matrix in different composites for intercalation of catalytically important nanoparticles so that the catalytic activity can be retained in the composite. A few such hybrid materials have been synthesized by Qi and Pickup, who have incorporated Pt and PtO in a matrix of 

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