Colloid Thermodynamic Effect as the Universal Driving Force for Fabricating Various Functional Composite Particles

The design and fabrication of functional nanocomposites is an active area of research because composite particles have significantly improved physical and chemical properties over those of their single-component counterparts. Traditionally, chemical pretreatments of the components were used to enhance their physicochemical or chemical interactions. Here, we propose a novel approach to taking advantage of the beauty of thermodynamics. A series of functional materials, including graphene nanosheets, carbon nanotubes, noble metals, magnetic materials, conducting polymers, attapulgite, and etc. were incorporated with polystyrene particles by a thermodynamic driving force. This unique approach is facile and versatile and shows the considerable significance of developments in both scientific methodology and particle engineering.