Exfoliated polystyrene (PS)/laponite nanocomposites were prepared successfully. The characteristic d001diffraction peak of organo-laponite disappeared in the XRD patterns of nanocomposites

indicating that the laponite layers were exfoliated and the ordered crystal structure of laponite was destroyed because of the styrene polymerization. TEM observations showed that the exfoliated laponite primary particles were dispersed randomly in the PS matrix with lateral dimensions from 1 nm to 10 nm. SEM results showed that the PS/laponite nanocomposite particles were almost monodispersed spheres with the size of about 120 nm. Because of the interaction between PS and laponite nanolayers

the nanocomposites exhibited higher thermal stability and glass transition temperature when compared to pure PS.