Polymers and Nanomaterials from Liquid-Liquid Interfaces

Book excerpt: The liquid-liquid interface and the two-phase, organic-aqueous systems are a key part of materials science. This book is written both as a state-of-the-art review on the materials synthesised through interfaces and a theoretical introduction on the properties and the fundamentals of the interface. It should be of interest to researchers currently working in various industrial sectors, academia and consultancy.The book deals with newly developed fluorescent polymers, nanoparticle arrays through interfaces and their potential applications in energy storage, enhanced oil recovery and sensors.Chapter 1 provides an overview of interfaces in natural and biological systems. Chapter 2 outlines the fundamental properties of the interface. Chapters 3 and 4 are devoted to the synthesis and self-organisation of nanoparticles and polymers through interfacial systems. The synthesis of conductive, fluorescent and conventional polymers and their properties are extensively covered, with the most important findings from the recent literature highlighted. A deeper analysis on their electronic transport, magnetic and optical properties is beyond the scope of this work and rather an introduction on these properties is presented. Finally, the closing Chapter 5 serves as a discussion and analysis on the potential applications of liquid-liquid boundaries and of the materials synthesised through them.