In situ Synthesis of Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites by Living and Controlled/Living Polymerization

The present trend article reports on the recent progress of the in situ synthesis of polymer/clay nanocomposites with well‐defined structures and highly exfoliated morphologies. The methods used for the preparation are classified according to the individual polymerization mechanisms. Other possibilities such as multi‐mode polymerization that combines different polymerization methods and click chemistry are also described. A special emphasis is devoted to the structures and morphologies of the obtained nanocomposites rather than their practical properties. This paper reviews recent developments of in situ synthesis of polymer/clay nanocomposites by various living and controlled/living polymerization techniques. Herein, we classify the in situ polymerization methods (see Fig.) based on their individual polymerization mechanism.