Transparent polymer nanohybrid prepared by in situ synthesis of aluminosilicate nanofibers in poly(vinyl alcohol) solution

Polymer nanohybrid materials that consist of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and aluminosilicate nanofiber imogolite were prepared by effective dispersion of aluminosilicate nanofiber in a polymer matrix by an in situ synthetic method. The as-synthesized imogolite–PVA hybrid was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, wide angle X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopic observations. The imogolite–PVA hybrid film was highly transparent compared with imogolite–PVA blend film, which was prepared by a solution blend of the freeze-dried imogolite powder with PVA. In addition, compared with PVA film, the hybrid films showed an increase in the elastic modulus and heat distortion temperature. These results indicate that in situ synthesis of imogolite in PVA solution successfully formed the polymer nanohybrid with finely-dispersed nanofillers.