As is known, polymers or polymer composites have various applications. However, there is still a wide scope to explore various paths and ideas to improvement of properties like high-strength, light weight, high performance composites, and electronics to make more convenient, sophisticated, customized tools or products for future application. One of the ways to do this is by synthesizing/modifying polymers, reinforced fibers, functional fillers, and improving or inventing new techniques for making sophisticated products in the future.
For example, currently although there are various reinforcing materials, glass fibers and carbon fibers are used most in preparation of high performance polymercomposite, but CNT-filled polymers show potential applications due to improved properties, such as high-strength, light weight, and high performance composites; until now, there has not been much industrial successes showing their advantage over traditional carbon fibers. Because of their nanometer scale and high aspect ratio, CNTs usually form stabilized bundles due to van der Waals interactions, despite various methods such as melt processing, solution processing, and in-situ polymerization which are used to counter these problems. However, there are still opportunities and challenges to be found in order to improve dispersion and interfacial properties. The mechanical properties of CNT/polymer nanocomposites may be compromised between the carbon–carbon bond damage and the increased CNT-polymer interaction due to the CNT functionalization. Similarly, electrical conductivity of a CNT/polymer nanocomposite is determined by the negative effect of carbon–carbon bond damage and the positive effect of the improved CNT dispersion. In either case, the choice and control of tailored functionalization sites for chemical modification of CNTs are extremely necessary. It is also necessary to understand the mechanisms involved in the methods used to improve the properties of CNT/polymer composites. This will be helpful to select the appropriate polymers and CNTs as well as maximum adhesion at the CNT-polymer interfaces. Another problem associated with CNT is its high cost. It is one of the major hurdles to accept CNT as a generous reinforcing agent over traditionally existing reinforcing agents like carbon fiber and glass fiber. So, bringing down the manufacturing cost of CNT is one of the aspects toward wide industrial acceptance of CNT as a reinforcing agent.
Similar kinds of problems or challenges or scope for improvement are also present in other polymer composite systems for specific use. Other versatile valuable applications are found with block copolymers. They are exploited for applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, cosmetics, water treatment, and industrial waste treatment. Block copolymer micelles are used in synthesis of metal or metal oxide nanoparticles which have shown special catalytic, magnetic, electrical, and optical properties.
The future trend of polymer or polymer composite is or will be decided by market needs or demand and current/future research progress.

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