Polymer-Inorganic Crystalline Nanocomposite Materials via Nanoparticle Occlusion

Efficient occlusion of guest nanoparticles into host single crystals opens up a straightforward and versatile way to construct functional crystalline nanocomposites. This new technique has attracted increasing research interest because it enables the composition, structure, and properties of the resulting nanocomposites to be well-controlled. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of nanoparticle occlusion within inorganic crystals. First, recently-developed strategies for the occlusion of various colloidal particles (e.g., diblock copolymer nanoparticles, polymer-modified inorganic nanoparticles, oil droplets, etc.) within host crystals (e.g., CaCO3, ZnO, or ZIF-8) are summarized. Second, new results pertaining to spatially-controlled occlusion and the physical mechanism of nanoparticle occlusion are briefly discussed. Finally, the physicochemical properties and potential applications of various functional nanocomposite crystals constructed via nanoparticle occlusion are highlighted and the perspective on the likely future for this research topic is also offered.