The construction industry is responsible for consuming large amounts of energy. The development of new materials with the purpose of increasing the thermal efficiency of buildings is, therefore, becoming, imperative. Thus, during the last decades, integration of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) into buildings has gained interest. Such materials can reduce the temperature variations, leading to an improvement in human comfort and decreasing at the same time the energy consumption of buildings, due to their capability to absorb and release energy from/in the environment. In the present paper, recent experimental studies dealing with mortars or concrete-containing PCMs, used as passive building systems, have been examined. This review is mainly aimed at providing information on the currently investigated materials and the employed methodologies for their manufacture, as well as at summarizing the results achieved so far on this subject.

The use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites for the rehabilitation of buildings or other infrastructure is increasingly becoming an effective and popular solution, being able to overcome some of the drawbacks experienced with traditional interventions and/or traditional materials. The knowledge of long-term performance and of durability behavior of FRP, in terms of their degradation/aging causes and mechanisms taking place in common as well as in harsh environmental conditions, still represents a critical issue for a safe and advantageous implementation of such advanced materials. The research of new and better performing materials in such fields is somewhat limited by practical and economical constrains and, as a matter of fact, is confined to an academic argument.

This paper aims at reviewing the works published in the last five years (2016–2020) on polymer nanocomposites based on epoxy resins. The different nanofillers successfully added to epoxies to enhance some of their characteristics, in relation to the nature and the feature of each nanofiller, are illustrated. The organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructured epoxies are also introduced and their strong potential in many applications has been highlighted. The different methods and routes employed for the production of nanofilled/nanostructured epoxies are described. A discussion of the main properties and final performance, which comprise durability, of epoxy nanocomposites, depending on chemical nature, shape, and size of nanoparticles and on their distribution, is presented. It is also shown why an efficient uniform dispersion of the nanofillers in the epoxy matrix, along with strong interfacial interactions with the polymeric network, will guarantee the success of the application for which the nanocomposite is proposed. The mechanisms yielding to the improved properties in comparison to the neat polymer are illustrated. The most important applications in which these new materials can better exploit their uniqueness are finally presented, also evidencing the aspects that limit a wider diffusion.

In order to protect a material belonging to Cultural Heritage (i.e., stone, wood) from weathering, and in turn to preserve its beauty and historical value for the future generations, the contact with external harmful agents, particularly water, must be avoided, or at least limited. This task can be successfully obtained with the use of a protective organic coating. The use of nano-metric reinforcing agents in conventional polymeric coatings demonstrated to be a successful route in achieving better protective performance of the films and improved physical properties, even in extreme environments. The present paper would, therefore, review the more recent findings in this field. Generally speaking, when a hydrophobic product is applied on its surface, the stone material will absorb less water and consequently, less substances which may be harmful to it. An efficient organic coating should also supply wear and abrasion resistance, resistance to aggressive chemicals, excellent bond to the substrate; finally, it should be also able to guarantee vapor exchange between the environment and the material interior, i.e., the material should keep the same water vapor permeability as if it was un-protected. To regard to the conservation of wood artifacts, protective treatments for wood will preserve the material from environmental agents and biological attack. Hence, potential advantages of hybrid (organic–inorganic) nano-composite coatings for stone/wood have been found to be: Enhanced mechanical properties in comparison to the pure polymeric matrix, due to the reinforcing effect of the nano-filler; superior barrier properties (the presence of the nano-filler hinders the ingress of water and/or potentially harmful chemicals); optical clarity and transparency. It has been found that the efficacy of a nano-filled coating strongly depends on the effectiveness of the method used to uniformly disperse the nano-filler in the polymeric matrix. Furthermore, the presence of nano-particles should not impair the viscosity of the organic matrix, in order to employ the conventional techniques of application for coatings.