Sustainable Development Goals at Baku State University.

New article by Faculty of Physics staff published in high-impact (Q2) international journal

On 16 December 2025, a new article by staff members of the Faculty of Physics at Baku State University (BSU) — Habiba Shirinova, Afsana Surkhayli, Bakhtiyar Pashayev, Huseyn Mammedov, Maarif Jafarov, Lala Gahramanli — was published in the high-impact, Web of Science Clarivate Analytics–indexed international journal The Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials (IF=3.6, Q2). The article is titled “Preparation, characterization and thermal properties of the PS+Si based polymer nanocomposites.”

The article reports the synthesis of new polymer nanocomposite materials based on the thermoplastic polymer polystyrene (PS) and silicon (Si) nanoparticles. The structure and properties of these nanocomposites were investigated. It was found that the incorporation of Si nanoparticles into the polymer matrix significantly increases the thermal stability of PS, while the inclusion of Si nanoparticles does not affect the glass transition temperature of polystyrene. The interaction between Si nanoparticles and PS molecules, as well as the effect of Si nanoparticles on the mobility of PS molecules, was explained based on the free volume theory.

The development and optimization of the PS+Si nanocomposite fabrication technology and the study of their properties significantly expand the potential applications of such materials in electronics, biotechnology, photovoltaic systems, and more.

The Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials is a globally respected journal published in the USA that features articles on polymers, nanocomposites, materials produced with various fillers, their production technologies, processing, material science, mechanical properties, durability, and design.

The article can be accessed at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1177/08927057241288195

SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)