Mesoporous silicas are inorganic materials with large surface areas, uniform framework structures and readily controlled pore diameters which are synthesized in the presence of surfactants as structure-directing agents, followed by the removal of the surfactant by extraction or calcination. Due to their characteristics, such as ordered structure, high surface area, and favorable interfacial interactions between silica surface and the polymer, they have found excellent potential application for use as reinforcing agents for several engineering polymer systems. While a large number of different synthesis approaches for the preparation of mesoporous silica-polymer nanocomposites has been reported in literature, there is nevertheless a growing need for verified synthesis methods of mesoporous silica-polymer materials. This paper presents a review of the literature on the methods for synthesizing polymer-mesoporous silica nanocomposites and discusses some unique properties of these composites.
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