“…This is even more critical in the case of layered additives, in which the interactions not only affect the dispersion of the additive within the polymer matrix, but they define the final nanohybrid structure as well. In such cases, three different structures can be obtained depending on the interactions [ 33 , 34 ]: (i) the phase separated, when the interactions between the chains and the fillers are unfavorable, which results in each component residing in its own phase; (ii) the intercalated one [ 17 , 28 , 29 , 35 , 36 , 37 ], where the polymer can diffuse between the layers of the additive, creating a structure of alternating soft–hard components, each one of nm-thickness, and (iii) the exfoliated one [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ], where the favorable interactions lead to the destruction of the layered structure of the inorganic material and to the dispersion of individual platelets within the polymer. Both intercalated and exfoliated structures offer certain advantages: the former shows enhanced mechanical properties, while for hybrids with low polymer content, it offers the ability to investigate polymer structure, dynamics and properties under severe confinement, whereas the latter provides optimized properties due to the percolated network formed from the dispersion of the additive platelets [ 44 , 45 ].…”