A model for the adsorption of poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) from solution onto alkali-halide substrates

The isothermal adsorption of high-and low-molecular-weight poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) onto (100) alkali-halide surfaces has been studied with the intent of developing a model for the adsorption process. Data from both the solution and adsorbed phases were correlated in this study. The α-helical conformation was maintained in solution and on the substrate for all molecular weights investigated. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy proved to be a sensitive technique for conformational analysis of adsorbed PBLG films as thin as 200 Å. High-molecular-weight PBLG was adsorbed as an interwoven fibrous mat, homogeneously covering the entire substrate surface. This morphology was independent of the substrate. Adsorption of low-molecular-weight PBLG took on a lamellar morphology, often exhibiting epitaxial orientation in the substrate 〈100〉 directions. Quasielastic laser light scattering studies showed that low-molecular-weight PBLG had a much higher degree of aggregation in nonpolar solvents than did high-molecular-weight PBLG. The proposed adsorption model is essentially a modification of one suggested by Silberberg. It involves segmental adsorption of aggregates, as opposed to single macromolecules of PBLG. The unadsorbed segments of the aggregates form a concentrated interfacial region directly above the substrate. Further interaction and association of PBLG may occur in this region, thus reducing the epitaxial ordering influence of the substrate. Consequently, polymers which do not interact strongly in the concentrated interfacial region, such as polyethylene, are expected to be adsorbed epitaxially, as has been reported.     

Probing into the epitaxial crystallization of β form isotactic polypropylene: From experimental observations to molecular mechanics computation

Compared with the most stable crystalline form of isotactic polypropylene (α‐iPP), β‐iPP shows superior impact strength and high temperature performance, though the mechanism of how the frustrated structure of β‐iPP is formed still remains unclear. In present work, the single crystal structure of a traditional β‐iPP nucleating agent, N,N′‐dicyclohexylterephthalamide (DCHT), was obtained for the first time and correlated with the epitaxial crystallization of β‐iPP on the surface of DCHT crystal. The combination of synchrotron radiation X‐ray microdiffraction and molecular chain packing model confirmed that a two dimensional match of chain‐axis and inter‐chain direction coexists between β‐iPP (110) plane and DCHT (001) plane. It was further found that an epitaxial model is helpful to understand the formation of the frustrated structure of 3₁ helices packing in β‐iPP. The molecular mechanics computation showed that as the (001) plane of DCHT is fixed, the packing mode of β‐iPP (110) plane on the substrate surface is more stable than that of α‐iPP (010) plane. This work clarifies the epitaxial crystallization mechanism of β‐iPP on DCHT by employing both experimental and computational evidences. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 418–424     

左旋聚乳酸/聚(ε-己内酯)共混物在取向聚乙烯基底上的附生结晶行为

利用电子显微镜结合电子衍射研究了左旋聚乳酸/聚(ε-己内酯)(PLLA/PCL)共混物在取向聚乙烯(PE)基底上的结晶行为.纯PLLA在取向PE基底上能够附生结晶,主要形成分子链相互垂直的片晶结构.PCL在PE基质上也能发生附生结晶,导致两者分子链平行.PLLA/PCL共混物在取向PE基底上结晶的形态结构依赖于共混组成.在PLLA含量大于95 wt%时,PCL不影响PLLA与PE的附生结晶行为.当PCL含量增加至10 wt%时,PLLA在PE上的附生结晶行为受到了一定程度的影响.当PCL含量超过40 wt%时,PLLA在PE上的附生结晶被抑制,取而代之是PCL在PE取向基质上附生结晶,产生两者分子链平行的取向片晶.另外,在PLLA含量在50 wt%~30 wt%之间时,体系产生明显的微相分离,微相分离并不影响PCL与PE的附生结晶,在PCL的富集区仍然发生平行链附生结晶,而PLLA的富集区结构变得模糊.当PLLA含量少于20 wt%时,微相分离不明显,少量PLLA应该分散在PCL片晶间的非晶区.     

Insight into understanding the evolution of the epitaxy crystallization in isotactic polypropylene and polyethylene blends

In this article, epitaxial structures have been successfully obtained in the isotactic polypropylene (iPP)/polyethylene (PE) blends by an accessible injection molding methods. By studying a series of iPP/PE blends, the evolution of the epitaxial growth of PE lamellae on the oriented iPP lamellae has been detailedly discussed via wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, small‐angle X‐ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Unexpectedly, the exactly epitaxial angles between peculiarly arranged PE lamellae and oriented PP lamellae are all larger than the classical epitaxy theory value of 50°, and it even increases gradually with increasing PP content. It is inferred that the special crystallization of PE is the consequence of joint construction of the oriented PP crystals and the continuous intense shear field provided by pressure vibration injection molding. The epitaxial structures play a positive role in the interfacial connection between two components; thus, the mechanical properties of the blends are improved. This work provides an insight understanding on the formation mechanism of the epitaxy crystallization under shear field. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Induced crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene adipate) by highly oriented polyethylene

The crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA) on highly oriented high-density polyethylene (PE) substrate both from solution and isotropic melt was studied by means of optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy and electron diffraction. The results show that the PE influences the crystallization of PEA strongly, which results in an epitaxial growth of PEA with well ordered structure. At the boundary of the PE substrate, a transcrystalline PEA layer is observed. Fine structural observation illustrates that the PEA grows on the PE substrate in edge-on lamellae with fixed orientation. Electron diffraction demonstrates that the epitaxial organization of PEA on PE occurs with both polymer chains parallel, which leads to the (00l) PEA diffractions inclined ±23.5° to the chain direction of PE crystals. Combining the real space morphological observation and electron diffraction results, it is concluded that the epitaxial PEA edge-on lamellae are folded in the {00l} lattice planes.     

分级聚丙烯的取向结晶过程

聚丙烯熔体在剪切或应变应力作用下 ,分子链发生取向形成伸直链纤维晶 ,这些先取向形成的纤维晶成为其后结晶的晶核 .这种线形排列的特殊自晶核被称作排核 ( Row nuclei) [1] .排核诱导的结晶温度高于异相核和均相核 .折叠链片晶在排核上附生生长 ,形成具有柱状对称性的超分子结构 ,称为柱状晶 ( Cylindrite) [2 ,3] .聚合物的分子量 ,剪切温度和剪切速度等因素对柱状晶的生成有很大影响 [4 ,5] .本文选用不同级分的聚丙烯样品 ,利用高分子 (特别是取向结晶 )的记忆效应 [6,7] ,研究了剪切后薄膜试样在熔融重结晶过程中柱状晶的形成和发展…     

LLDPE/IPP共混物高取向薄膜的附生结晶

本文用透射电子显微术、电子衍射等方法研究了线性低密度聚乙烯(LLDPE)和等规聚丙烯(IPP)共混物高取向薄膜的形态结构.在熔体拉伸薄膜中统组分的LLDPE与IPP均以高取向的片晶形式存在,片晶生长方向垂直手拉伸方向.当共混物中LLDPE含量较低(小于40％)时,作为分散相的LLDPE在IPP上附生结晶.两种片晶的c轴成45°交角,附生结晶的接触面为LLDPE的(100)和IPP的(010).而在LLDPE含量大于50％时,LLDPE形成独立的相区,则不存在附生结晶现象,结果两种片晶的生长方向均垂直于拉伸方向.在135℃热处理15min,然后自然冷却的LLDPE/IPP共混物薄膜中,当LLDPE含量≤50％时,LLDPE仍然在IPP上附生生长,二者的结构关系与热处理前的相同.     

Studies on confined crystallization behavior of polycaprolactone thin films

The confined crystallization behavior of polycaprolactone (PCL) in thin and ultrathin films was studied by AFM (atomic force microscopy). It was found that the crystalline morphology of PCL depended on the film’s thickness. When the thickness is d > 2 Rg (radius of gyration), the polymer can crystallize into spherulites; when Rg < d < 2 Rg, a dense-branch morphology and dendrites could be found; when d < Rg, an “islands” structure could be obtained. Moreover, the effects of the crystallization temperature and the substrate and the molecular weight on the crystalline morphology were discussed. It was shown that the crystallization of PCL in thin films is a diffusion-controlled process, and it can be explained by diffusion-limited aggregation. __________ Translated from Acta Polymerica Sinica, 2006, (8): 964–969 [译自: 高分子学报]     

The influence of crystal structures of nucleating agents on the crystallization behaviors of isotactic polypropylene

The crystals of N, N′-dicyclohexyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxamide (DC26NDCA) and N,N′-dicyclohexyl-1,4-naphthalenedicarboxamide (DC14NDCA) were selected as nucleating agents to induce the crystallization of isotactic polypropylene (i-PP). The influence of the crystal structures of the nucleating agents on the crystallization behaviors and morphologies was studied by means of differential scanning calorimeter, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, polarized light microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that DC26NDCA is a selective β-nucleating agent for the i-PP crystallization, while DC14NDCA only has a very weak α-nucleating effect for the i-PP crystallization. The dynamic growth processes reveal that i-PP crystals grow with different crystallization behaviors in the presence of the nucleating agents. The i-PP lamellar structures on the crystal surfaces of the nucleating agents were observed by AFM in details, which suggested that the nucleating agents induced the epitaxial growth of the i-PP lamellae.     

Growth modes and self-organization in the epitaxy of ferromagnetic SrRuO3 on SrTiO3(001)

We report on the self-organized formation of one-dimensional finger-like structures and the subsequent surface smoothing that occurs in the epitaxial growth of ferromagnetic and conductive SrRuO₃ films on SrTiO₃(001) substrates. We show that at an early stage of growth there are three-dimensional (3D) islands nucleated along the substrate steps, and we detail their coalescence to form fingers and later the coalescence of fingers to form planar surfaces. The influence of the Erlich–Schwoebel barrier on the morphology evolution is demonstrated. We discuss on the driving forces promoting 3D growth at the early stages.     

聚谷氨酸苄酯-g-(聚四氢呋喃-b-聚异丁烯)共聚物的微观结构与形态

通过可控/活性离子聚合方法设计合成一系列不同共聚组成的聚谷氨酸苄酯-g-(聚四氢呋喃-b-聚异丁烯)的新型嵌段接枝共聚物,即PBLG-g-(PTHF-b-PIB),研究共聚物中支链(PTHF-b-PIB)长度及接枝密度对主链PBLG玻璃化转变温度、α-螺旋二级结构及其转变的影响,研究支链中PTHF链段长度对其双端受限的玻璃化转变及凝聚态结构的影响.结果表明:PBLG-g-(PTHF-b-PIB)共聚物中刚性主链保持α-螺旋二级结构;随着支链长度增加或接枝密度增加,主链PBLG的α-螺旋二级结构特征峰逐渐减弱,玻璃化转变温度逐渐提高,α-螺旋结构发生转变的焓值逐渐增大;在确定接枝密度的情况下,随着支链中PTHF链段长度增加,共聚物中双端受限的PTHF链段结晶逐渐增强,结晶熔融温度及熔融焓均增加;在确定支链中PTHF链段长度的情况下,随着接枝密度增大,支链间链段相互排斥,PTHF链段结晶逐渐减弱.     

Effect of molecular weight and film thickness on the crystallization and microphase separation in polystyrene-<Emphasis Type="Italic">block</Emphasis>-poly(L-lactic acid) thin films at the early stage

We investigated the effects of molecular weight and film thickness on the crystallization and microphase separation in semicrystalline block copolymer polystyrene-block-poly(L-lactic acid) (PS-b-PLLA) thin films, at the early stage of film evolution (when T _g < T < T _ODT) by in situ hot stage atomic force microscopy. For PS-b-PLLA 1 copolymer which had lower molecular weight and higher PLLA fraction, diffusion-controlled break-out crystallization started easily. For PS-b-PLLA 2 with higher molecular weight, crystallization in nanometer scales occurs in local area. After melting of the two copolymer films, islands were observed at the film surface: PS-b-PLLA 1 film was in a disordered phase mixed state while PS-b-PLLA 2 film formed phase-separated lamellar structure paralleling to the substrate. Crystallization-melting and van der Waals forces drove the island formation in PS-b-PLLA 1 film. Film thickness affected the crystallization rate. Crystals grew very slowly in much thinner film of PS-b-PLLA 1 and remained almost unchanged at long time annealing. The incompatibility between PS and PLLA blocks drove the film fluctuation which subsequently evolved into spinodal-like morphology.     

Anomalous two-stage spherulite growth in poly(aryl ether ketones) during isothermal crystallization

Anomalous two-stage spherulite growth has been observed in poly(aryl ether ketones) during isothermal crystallization. The first stage consists of a conventional growth with Maltesecross pattern at a lower growth rate. The morphology shows a smooth interface, dense structure and negative birefringence. The second stage grows in the form of “aggregate” at a higher rate. The morphology shows an open dendrite structure without preferred optical orientation. The second morphology is also termed the “overgrowth.” The occurrence of overgrowth is favored only near the maximum growth rate region and diminishes in the slow growth region. The transition of the two-stage growth is attributed to the change of growth direction of the constituent lamellae. We have confirmed this by microbeam small-angle light-scattering measurements. The lamellar structures in both growth stages were followed by time-resolved small-angle synchrotron x-ray scattering. It was found that the lamellar structures of the crystals formed at both stages are the same. A possible explanation for the two-stage growth is the interface breakdown caused by large perturbations of local composition and/or stress fields. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Environment-induced morphological changes of polyethylene lamellae during crystallization in solution

Polyethylene (PE) lamellar crystals were grown by two dual-staged crystallization methods: (1) Fractionated PE was first crystallized from n-octane by the self-seeding method, the solvent of the resulting suspension of crystals was exchanged for p-xylene, and thereafter, the suspension was mixed with a solution in p-xylene at various temperatures so that PE grew from p-xylene onto the lamellae pregrown from n-octane, and (2) according to the similar procedure, PE lamellae were first grown from p-xylene and subsequently, PE was deposited from n-octane onto the lamellae pre-grown from p-xylene. In the crystallization procedure (1), triangular lamellae with the 〈010〉 chain folding developed randomly on the {100} lateral surfaces of truncated parent lamellae so that the surfaces were serrated, and otherwise, thin daughter lamellae bordered the parent lamellae along the {110} surfaces, retaining the flat growth fronts with the 〈110〉 folding. In the procedure (2), the {100} sectors with the 〈010〉 folding developed at the apexes of the long diagonal of lozengeshaped parent lamellae, and consequently, their morphology was transfigured into a truncated crystal. These morphological transformations are discussed on the basis of the change in the interfacial free energy between the parent crystal and the surrounding phase due to the substitution of solvent. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Study of crystalline orientation in drawn ultra-high–molecular weight polyethylene films

A wide-angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD) study of the development of molecular orientation in the crystalline phase of ultra-high–molecular weight polyethylene films prepared by the gelation–crystallization method is presented. WAXD scans of the undrawn films show that the lamellae are oriented in the plane of the films. Upon drawing at 130°C, the orientation of the molecular chains changes from the direction normal to the film surface (ND) to the elongation direction. The decrease of the 200/020 intensity ratio at low draw ration (λ <10) indicates that double orientation develops during the transformation from the lamellar to the fibrillar morphology, with the a-axis oriented parallel to ND. The orientation distributions of the 110, 200, 020, and 002 planes of the orthorhombic unit cell of polyethylene were studied and characterized by the coefficients of a Legendre polynomial series. At a draw ratio of 4.5, the second-order coefficient, 〈P₂(cos χ〉, already gets close to its limiting value, but it is shown that higher order coefficients of the polynomial series can be used to describe the evolution of the orentation, even up to λ = 50. The coefficients relative to the molecular chain orientation, 〈P_n(cos χ)〉_c, can be calculated from different crystalline reflections. Curve-fitting calculations were made in order to improve the correlation between the results obtained from the orientation distribution of the 110, 020, and 002 planes. A Person VII function was found to give a better fit of the experimental curves than Gaussian or Lorentzian equations. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

High-resolution atomic force microscopy study of hexaglycylamide epitaxial structures on graphite

Two types of hexaglycylamide (HGA) epitaxial lamellar structures coexisting on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) exposed to water solutions were studied by high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM). Lamellae are distinguished by growth direction and by morphology. The lamellae of the first type (L1) produced by depositions from more dilute solutions are close-packed with a period of ～5.2 nm, twice the HGA molecular length, and form highly ordered domains morphologically similar to the lamellar domains of alkanes. The less-ordered lamellae of the second type (L2) appear at intermediate and large HGA concentrations and demonstrate variable lamellar width, morphological diversity, and a tendency to merge. The interlamellar separation in the domains of close-packed L2 lamellae varies with the discrete increment ～2.5 nm; the most frequently observed value is ～7.5-8.0 nm corresponding to the triple HGA molecular length. The growth directions of lamellae of each type have sixfold rotational symmetry indicating epitaxy with graphite; however, the rosettes of L1 and L2 lamellae orientations are misaligned by 30°. The molecular modeling of possible HGA epitaxial packing arrangements on graphite and their classification have been conducted, and the energetically preferable structures are selected. On this basis, the structural models of the L1 and L2 lamellae are proposed explaining the experimentally observed peculiarities as follows: (1) the L1 and L2 lamellae are respectively parallel and antiparallel β-sheets with two HGA molecules in the unit cell oriented normally to the lamellae boundaries, (2) HGA molecules in L1 and L2 lamellae have different orientations with respect to the graphite lattice, respectively along the directions <1120> and <1010>, (3) L1 lamella is the assembly of two hydrogen-bonded parallel β-sheets oriented head-to-head, (4) L2 lamellae are assemblies of several molecular rows (antiparallel β-sheets) cross-linked by hydrogen bonds. The AFM observations indicate that the covering of the hydrophobic graphite by the dense, closely packed, well-ordered monolayers of hydrophilic oligopeptide is possible.     

The morphology of poly(vinylidene fluoride) crystallized from blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(ethyl acrylate)

A combined optical and electron microscopical study has been carried out of the crystallization habits of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF₂) when it is crystallized from blends with noncrystallizable poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA). The PVF₂/PEA weight ratios were 0.5/99.5,5/95, and 15/85. Isothermal crystallization upon cooling the blends from the single-phase liquid region was carried out in the range 135–155°C, in which the polymer crystallizes in the α-orthorhombic unit cell form. The 0.5/99.5 blend yielded multilayered and planar lamellar crystals. The lamellae formed at low undercoolings were lozenge shaped and bounded laterally by {110} faces. This habit is prototypical of the dendritic lateral habits exhibited by the crystals grown from the same blend at high undercoolings as well as by the constituent lamellae in the incipient spherulitic aggregates and banded spherulites that formed from the 5/95 and the 15/85 blends, respectively. In contrast with the planar crystals grown from the 0.5/99.5 blend, the formation of the aggregates grown from the 5/95 blend is governed by a conformationally complex motif of dendritic lamellar growth and proliferation. The development of these aggregates is characterized by the twisting of the orientation of lamellae about their preferential b-axis direction of growth, coupled with a fan-like splaying or spreading of lamellae about that axis. The radial growth in the banded spherulites formed from the 15/85 blend is governed by a radially periodic repetition of a similar lamellar twisting/fan-like spreading growth motif whose recurrence corresponds to the extinction band spacing. This motif differs in its fan-like splaying component from banding due to just a helicoidal twisting of lamellae about the radial direction. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

α—ipp的附生结晶研究

用离焦电子显微术及电子衍射技术研究了不同温度下等规立构聚丙烯(α-iPP)超薄膜的细微结构。溶液浇铸的薄膜中的球晶内含有十字交叉和单晶型两种结构,与结晶温度无关。十字交叉结构中复杂的广角片晶支化是由子片晶在母片晶的(010)侧面上附生生长造成的,母子片晶均为侧立放置的链折叠片晶,它们的结晶学c轴位于膜平面内,并成一固定的夹角(100°左右)较低温度结晶时,有大量的多重广角片晶支化;结晶温度越高,支化程度越低。     

新形金纳米片的简单制备与生长机制

在室温(~30 ℃)条件下,氯金酸(HAuCl₄)均匀混合在粘稠的表面活性剂聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)胶体(水为溶剂)中,HAuCl₄可以被PVP还原,从而形成纳米片. 本工作中,通过调整晶体生长条件,成功合成了大量新形貌的单晶金纳米片(厚度数十纳米,尺寸为数个微米). 例如,在晶体生长初期阶段,通过引入温度变化(如降温10-20 ℃),形成的金纳米片主要是六角星形,并伴有盾状、内凹外凸的三角状、截角的、三叉的及多台阶等新形纳米片. 结合理论计算,阐明了金纳米片的生长机制：在一定条件下,金(111)晶面不仅可以沿着<110>方向生长成为常规的三角或六角纳米片,还可以沿<211>、<321>等不同方向生长成含有更高指数侧面的新形金纳米片.     

聚丙烯/高密度聚乙烯高取向共混物的附生结晶

<正> 最近,聚合物之间的附生结晶引起人们的极大兴趣和关注。附生结晶是一种结晶物质在另一种结晶物质上的取向生长,二者之间有特殊的作用。这种附生作用对结晶聚合物共混体系的形态结构和性能有极为重要的影响。本工作以电子显微镜方法研究熔体拉伸直接导致等规聚丙烯(iPP)和高密度聚乙烯(HDPE)共混物附生结晶。