000017564 001__ 17564 000017564 005__ 20150420163710.0 000017564 0248_ $$aoai:doc.rero.ch:20100319093958-BH$$punifr$$ppostprint$$prero_explore$$particle$$zthesis_urn$$zreport$$zthesis$$zbook$$zcdu620.1$$zjournal$$zcdu16$$zpreprint$$zcdu1$$zdissertation$$zcdu34 000017564 041__ $$aeng 000017564 080__ $$a620.1 000017564 100__ $$aWeder, Christoph$$uAdolphe Merkle Institute and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland 000017564 245__ $$9eng$$aFunctional polymer blends and nanocomposites 000017564 269__ $$c2009 000017564 520__ $$9eng$$aThe broad class of (multi)functional polymers with unusual combinations of optical, electronic, mechanical and other properties is attracting significant interest, because it conceptually combines the advantages of polymers - low cost, ease of processing and a range of attractive mechanical characteristics - with the specific, tailorable properties of functional organic molecules. The caveat is that the synthesis of functional polymers is frequently complex and involves many steps, which makes the technological exploitation of new materials difficult. One alternative strategy is the fabrication of functional polymer blends and nanocomposites. Rather than synthesizing new, complex functional macromolecules, minor fractions of a 'functional additive' are mixed with a matrix polymer in order to create, often after using rather specific processing protocols, new materials with unique or unusual property matrices. This review discusses three specific examples - chameleon polymers with integrated sensing capabilities, optically upconverting polymers, and mechanically adaptive nanocomposites - to showcase the conceptual simplicity, elegance, and broad applicability of this general design approach. 000017564 695__ $$9eng$$aFunctional material ; Nanocomposite ; Polymer blend ; Smart additive 000017564 773__ $$g2009/63/11/758–763$$tChimia 000017564 775__ $$gPublished version$$ohttp://dx.doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2009.758 000017564 8564_ $$fwed_fpb.pdf$$qapplication/pdf$$s563282$$uhttps://doc.rero.ch/record/17564/files/wed_fpb.pdf$$yorder:1$$zpdf 000017564 918__ $$aFaculté des sciences$$bDécanat, Ch. du Musée 6A, 1700 Fribourg 000017564 919__ $$aUniversité de Fribourg$$bFribourg$$ddoc.support@rero.ch 000017564 980__ $$aPOSTPRINT$$bUNIFR$$fART_JOURNAL 000017564 990__ $$a20100319093958-BH