Progress of LDHs-based flexible composite films: fabrication and functionalization

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), as one type of typical 2D inorganic layered materials, have been extensively used in drug loading and release, functional additive, adsorption, catalysis, energy storage, photochemistry and other fields, owing to their tunable interlayer space, good anisotropy and thermal stability. However, the application of LDHs powder normally suffers from mass losing and serious aggregation. Recent years, LDHs-based flexible composite films have shown promising application prospect in the field of electrochemical storage, optoelectronic devices, and gas barrier materials, due to their portability, ductility and good mechanical properties. This review introduced the preparation methods and application fields of LDHs-based flexible films and pointed out the future research directions.