Morphology and structure of nylon‐2,14 single crystals from dilute solution

A perfect single crystal of nylon‐2,14 was prepared from 0.02% (w/v) 1,4‐butanediol solution by a “self‐seeding” technique and isothermal crystallization at 120 and 145 °C. The morphology and structure features were examined by transmission electron microscopy with both image and diffraction modes, atomic force microscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). The nylon‐2,14 single crystal grown from 1,4‐butanediol at 145 °C inhabited a lathlike shape with a lamellar thickness of about 9 nm. Electron diffraction and WAXD data indicated that nylon‐2,14 crystallized in a triclinic system with lattice dimensions a = 0.49 nm, b = 0.51 nm, c = 2.23 nm, α = 60.4°, β = 77°, and γ = 59°. The crystal structure is different from that of nylon‐6,6 but similar to that of other members of nylon‐2Y. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 1913–1918, 2002