TABLE OF CONTENTS Nanostructures are intermediate in size between molecular and micrometre size systems, such as polymer blends and composites. In fact, polymer nanocomposites consist of a nanometre-scale phase in combination with a molecular phase. The development of nanostructures by dispersing inorganic nanofillers in a polymer matrix and achieving extraordinary properties is an area of active interest in nanocomposite technology. Polymer nanocomposite materials are defined as an interacting mixture of two phases, i.e., a polymer matrix and a solid phase, which is in the nanometre size range in at least one dimension. Following the general scheme of composite nomenclature by Newnham [37], the connectivity of the phases in polymer nanocomposites is described as follows: zero-dimensional nanocomposites refers to isolated 0D nanoparticles in a continuous polymer matrix; one-dimensional nanocomposites refers to 1D nanotubes in a polymer matrix; two-dimensional nanocomposites refers to 2D sheets exfoliated in a polymer matrix (e.g., polymer/layered silicate hybrids); and three-dimensional nanocomposites refers to interpenetrating polymer networks [34]. The influence of the nature and strength of polymer-filler interactions, filler-filler interactions and the state of dispersion of the nanocomposite are of importance for the design of tailored properties [22]. The strength of the interaction between the phases divides the organic-inorganic hybrid materials into two classes [27, 28]. Class I hybrid materials correspond to weak phase interactions such as van der Waals interactions, hydrogen bonding or simple mechanical blending of the inorganic and organic phases. Class II hybrid materials possess strong covalent...
