General Introduction

Abstract

The nanocomposite science concerning the class of composite materials, whose typical feature is nanometer size of their structural elements (metal particles, their oxides, chalcogenides, carbides, nitrides, etc.) has appeared in the last decades of twentieth century at the junction of different fields of knowledge: physical, organic, colloid, polymer chemistry, biology, and materials science.

Progress in this area depends significantly on competence of materials scientists for development of contemporary nanomaterials, the task is not only in creation of nanostructures, and in reaching the best knowledge of properties of these ensembles, but in processing and controlling of their assembling in any form, in knowledge of its structure at different spatial levels. Despite variety of methods of production of nanocomposites it has been found that all versatility of synthetic approaches to preparation of nanometer particles and their self-assembling can be reduced to two principally different ways: “top-down” (descending way) and “bottom-up” (ascending way). The first of them appears in various ways of grinding of coarse particles to nanometer, the essence of the “bottom-up” way is in assembling of nanoparticles from different atoms (or ions with the following reduction) to nanoparticles of a given size in presence of polymer matrix (or its precursor). The latter method, which is considered in this monograph, is more widely used due to its variability and potential abilities than the dispersion method. A researcher can predict in advance properties of obtained nanoparticles: he can choose content and properties of initial components, stabilizing agents, can estimate their role, predict conditions of nucleation and growth of the nanoparticles at each stage, thus constructing designed materials.