Self-assembling nanostructured intercalates via ion–dipole bonding

Abstract

A new system of highly ordered self-assembly intercalated polymer/clay nanocomposite is reported. These systems appear to be driven by entropic forces and are nanostructured but self-assemble across the micron scale. The systems exhibit extremely good gas barrier properties which do not fit the traditional tortuous path model of diffusion. In these complexes the intercalated system behaves differently than the bulk polymer. This behaviour can be explained by constrained polymer theory. The paper presents structural characteristics of the intercalates as well as gas barrier properties of films produced with the intercalated systems. A new radical approach to food packaging is proposed and demonstrated.