Nanocomposites and nanomaterials

Microcrystalline cellulose and thermo-expanded graphite as matrices for development of new multifunctional nanostructured composite materials
Nedilko S.G.1, Alekseev O.M.1, Revo S.L.1, M. Androulidaki2
1 Physics Faculty, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine. Acad. Hlushkov ave. 4”b”, Kyiv-03680, Ukraine. 
E-mail: SNedilko@univ.kiev.ua
2 Microelectronics Research Group, Institute of Electronic Structure & Laser, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, Vassilika Vuton, Heraklion 711 10, Crete, Hellas, Greece.
3 Laboratory of Thermodynamics and Surface Treatment of Materials, University Frères Mentouri, B.P. 325 Route Ain El Bey, Constantine 25017, Algeria.

Today, there is a rising demand for new materials. These are now nanostructured materials and their composites. It should be noted that new materials are needed both for high-tech manufacturing industries and for those which are traditionally considered as material for "primitive" routine production processes.
Here, we would like to draw attention to two types of new ("old") materials that can be useful in both directions. Such are cellulose-based materials and graphite-based materials. Both the first and the second are such that without them it is even hard to imagine the development of mankind. Among the first we undertake here micro, or nanocrystalline cellulose (MCC, or NCC, respectively), and among others - thermo-expandable graphite (TEG). Both types of materials here are considered by us as matrices for the introduction to their composition some fillers, which provide these materials with important and useful functions. The incorporationtion of such fillers not only gives the composites “MCC-oxide” and “TEG-oxide” new optical qualities, but also changes the electrical and mechanical properties of the matrix. In this work, as fillers we use oxide dielectric compounds, which under certain conditions (composition, concentration, temperature) exhibit luminescent properties. 
A review of today's data on similar systems is presented, a series of new experimental and theoretical results concerning structure, morphology, hardness, dielectric permittivity, temperature behavior of their dilatometric characteristics, heat capacity, optical reflection and luminescence are given. 
The presented data and the results of their analysis point to the prospects for the application of these nanostructured materials in science and technology.