Simple Arguments for Nanoparticles as Compatibilizers

The above discussion mainly applied to nanospheres. It can also be adapted to nanorods and nanoplatelets, where the drive towards the interfaces could be even stronger. Preliminary evidence (see, e.g., Gelfer et al. [50]) shows that clay nanoplatelets dispersed in polymer blends indeed have a tendency to segregate to interfaces and jam them, thus effectively compatibilizing the blend. However, theoretical understanding of this process is not yet fully developed. 

The enthalpic considerations on which Eq. (7.4) is based are probably suEhdent to describe relatively large nanoparticles with amphiphilic surface chemistry (e.g., particles covered with random AB-copolymers). However, for a particle with smaller radii (comparable to the polymer radius of gyration) and/or more preferential surface treatment, interfacial segregation is not very strong. In modeling their dynamic and thermodynamic behavior in polymers, we need to consider carefully both enthalpic and entropic factors, as will be discussed in the following sections. 

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