1
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Yang J, Chen Y, Yang Z, Dai L, Choi H, Meng Z. Unveiling the Nanoconfinement Effect on Crystallization of Semicrystalline Polymers Using Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:1155. [PMID: 38675074 PMCID: PMC11053607 DOI: 10.3390/polym16081155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Semicrystalline polymers under nanoconfinement show distinct structural and thermomechanical properties compared to their bulk counterparts. Despite extensive research on semicrystalline polymers under nanoconfinement, the nanoconfinement effect on the local crystallization process and the unique structural evolution of such polymers have not been fully understood. In this study, we unveil such effects by using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to study the crystallization process of a model semicrystalline polymer-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-under different levels of nanoconfinement induced by nanoparticles that are represented implicitly. We quantify in detail the evolution of the degree of crystallinity (XC) of PVA and examine distinct crystalline regions from simulation results. The results show that nanoconfinement can promote the crystallization process, especially at the early stage, and the interfaces between nanoparticles and polymer can function as crystallite nucleation sites. In general, the final XC of PVA increases with the levels of nanoconfinement. Further, nanoconfined cases show region-dependent XC with higher and earlier increase of XC in regions closer to the interfaces. By tracking region-dependent XC evolution, our results indicate that nanoconfinement can lead to a heterogenous crystallization process with a second-stage crystallite nucleation in regions further away from the interfaces. In addition, our results show that even under very high cooling rates, the nanoconfinement still promotes the crystallization of PVA. This study provides important insights into the underlying mechanisms for the intricate interplay between nanoconfinement and the crystallization behaviors of semicrystalline polymer, with the potential to guide the design and characterization of semicrystalline polymer-based nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhaoxu Meng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29631, USA; (J.Y.); (Y.C.); (Z.Y.); (L.D.); (H.C.)
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2
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Klonos PA, Bikiaris ND, Zamboulis A, Valera MÁ, Mangas A, Kyritsis A, Terzopoulou Z. Segmental mobility in sustainable copolymers based on poly(lactic acid) blocks built onto poly(butylene succinate) in situ. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:7846-7858. [PMID: 37811662 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00980g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Two series of newly synthesized sustainable block copolymers based on poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu) and polylactide (PLA) were studied. The copolymers were synthesized by a ring-opening polymerization of PLA in the presence of two initial PBSu of low molar mass. We focused on the effects of the PBSu/PLA ratio (1/99 up to 15/85), chain length and initial PBSu length on the final thermal transitions in the copolymers with an emphasis on molecular mobility/dynamics and subsequently on crystallization. Both aspects are considered relevant to the final materials performance, as well as facilitation of polymer renewability. Calorimetry and dielectric spectroscopy were the main investigation tools. In the amorphous state (i.e., in which the direct effects of copolymer structure are assessable), the segmental mobility of neat PLA was significantly faster in the copolymers. Segmental mobility was monitored via the decrease in the calorimetric and dielectric (α relaxation) glass-transition temperatures, Tg and Tg,diel, respectively. The effect was systematic with an increase in the PBSu/PLA ratio, and was rationalized through the plasticizing role of PBSu (low-Tg component) and facilitated also by the simultaneous lowering of the chain length in the copolymers. Dielectric spectroscopy allowed evaluation of the dynamical fragility (cooperativity) of chains, which was strongly suppressed in the copolymers. This finding suggested an increase in free volume or a gradual increase of interchain distances. This phenomenon could favor the natural enzymatic degradation of the systems (compostability), which is limited in neat PLA. We recorded enhancement of nucleation and the crystalline fraction in the copolymers that was likely connected with faster chain diffusion. Further lowering of the Tg with the implementation of crystallization was noted (which seemed a controversial effect) but which indicated crystallization-induced phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis A Klonos
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15780, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos D Bikiaris
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Alexandra Zamboulis
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Miguel Ángel Valera
- AIMPLAS, Asociación de Investigación de Materiales Plásticos Y Conexas, Carrer de Gustave Eiffel, 4, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Mangas
- AIMPLAS, Asociación de Investigación de Materiales Plásticos Y Conexas, Carrer de Gustave Eiffel, 4, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Apostolos Kyritsis
- Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15780, Athens, Greece
| | - Zoi Terzopoulou
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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3
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Kwon HJ, Jang J, Koh WG, Lee JY, Hwang K. Ductile Effect of PGA/PCL Blending Plastics Using a Novel Ionic Chain Extender with Non-Covalent Bonds. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:3025. [PMID: 37514415 PMCID: PMC10385193 DOI: 10.3390/polym15143025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyglycolic acid (PGA) is a promising polymer in the packaging field owing to its excellent hydrolysis, heat resistance, and gas barrier properties, but it is limited in application due to its poor toughness. For this reason, a covalently bonded chain extender is introduced to increase compatibility with flexible polymers. However, covalent bonds are unfavorable for application to degradable plastics because of the energy required for reverse reactions. Therefore, we intended to effectively control the ductility of blending plastics by using a novel ionic chain extender with a relatively weaker non-covalent bond than the existing covalent bond. Polycaprolactone (PCL), which has biodegradability and flexibility, was selected as a blending polymer. For comparison, a covalently reactive chain extender (G-CE) and a non-covalently ionic chain extender (D-CE) were synthesized and compounded with blending plastics. Each chain extender improved the compatibility between PGA and PCL, and the ductility of the PGA/PCL blending plastics was more greatly enhanced with non-covalently bonded D-CE than with covalently bonded G-CE. At this time, the ductility of the PGA/PCL(90/10) blending plastic without CE was 7.2%, the ductility of blending plastic with D-CE (10D) was 26.6%, and the ductility of blending plastic with G-CE (10G) was 18.6%. Therefore, it was confirmed that the novel ionic chain extender inducing non-covalent bonds improves the compatibility between PGA and PCL and is more advantageous in enhancing ductility through a reversible reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuk-Jun Kwon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- Green and Sustainable Materials R&D Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Cheonan 31056, Republic of Korea
| | - Joseph Jang
- Green and Sustainable Materials R&D Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Cheonan 31056, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Gun Koh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Young Lee
- Green and Sustainable Materials R&D Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Cheonan 31056, Republic of Korea
| | - Kiseob Hwang
- Green and Sustainable Materials R&D Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Cheonan 31056, Republic of Korea
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4
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Li Y, Shi ZZ, Bai L, Bao RY, Yang MB, Yang W. Enhanced polylactide stereocomplexes by aluminum oxide particles for reliable thermal conductivity at elevated temperature. POLYMER 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2023.125775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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5
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Righetti MC, Di Lorenzo ML, Cavallo D, Müller AJ, Gazzano M. Structural evolution of poly(butylene succinate) crystals on heating with the formation of a dual lamellar population, as monitored by temperature-dependent WAXS/SAXS analysis. POLYMER 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2023.125711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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6
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Coba-Daza S, Carmeli E, Otaegi I, Aranburu N, Guerrica-Echevarria G, Kahlen S, Cavallo D, Tranchida D, Müller AJ. Effect of compatibilizer addition on the surface nucleation of dispersed polyethylene droplets in a self-nucleated polypropylene matrix. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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7
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Fenni SE, Müller AJ, Cavallo D. Understanding polymer nucleation by studying droplets crystallization in immiscible polymer blends. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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8
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Dong Y, Wu J, Hu J, Yan S, Müller AJ, Sun X. Thermal-Field-Tuned Heterogeneous Amorphous States of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Films with Precise Transition from Nonpolar to Polar Phase. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, North Third Ring Road 15, Beijing100029, China
| | - Jinghua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics of Ministry of Education, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, No. 53 Zhengzhou Road, Qingdao266042, China
| | - Jian Hu
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics of Ministry of Education, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, No. 53 Zhengzhou Road, Qingdao266042, China
| | - Shouke Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, North Third Ring Road 15, Beijing100029, China
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics of Ministry of Education, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, No. 53 Zhengzhou Road, Qingdao266042, China
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizábal 3, 20018Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi 5, 48009Bilbao, Spain
| | - Xiaoli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, North Third Ring Road 15, Beijing100029, China
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9
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Gao Z, Wang Z, Liu Z, Fu L, Li X, Eling B, Pöselt E, Schander E, Wang Z. Hard block length distribution of thermoplastic polyurethane determined by polymerization-induced phase separation. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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10
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Wang W, Buzzi S, Fenni SE, Carmeli E, Wang B, Liu G, Müller AJ, Cavallo D. Surface Nucleation of Dispersed Droplets in Double Semicrystalline Immiscible Blends with Different Matrices. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.202200202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry University of Genoa Via Dodecaneso 31 Genova 16146 Italy
| | - Simona Buzzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry University of Genoa Via Dodecaneso 31 Genova 16146 Italy
| | - Seif Eddine Fenni
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry University of Genoa Via Dodecaneso 31 Genova 16146 Italy
| | - Enrico Carmeli
- Innovation & Technology Borealis Polyolefine GmbH St. Peter‐Straße 25 Linz 4021 Austria
| | - Bao Wang
- Institute of Zhejiang University‐Quzhou 78 Jiuhua Boulevard North Quzhou 324000 China
| | - Guoming Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- Polymat and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics Chemistry and Technology Faculty of Chemistry University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3 Donostia‐San Sebastián 20018 Spain
- IKERBASQUE Basque Foundation for Science Plaza Euskadi 5 Bilbao 48009 Spain
| | - Dario Cavallo
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry University of Genoa Via Dodecaneso 31 Genova 16146 Italy
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11
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Barangizi H, Pawlak A. Crystallization of partially disentangled polypropylene in nanocomposites with aluminum oxide. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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12
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Experimental and Data Fitting Guidelines for the Determination of Polymer Crystallization Kinetics. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-022-2724-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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13
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Damonte G, Maddalena L, Fina A, Cavallo D, Müller AJ, Caputo MR, Mariani A, Monticelli O. On novel hydrogels based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) and polycaprolactone with improved mechanical properties prepared by frontal polymerization. Eur Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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14
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Fenni SE, Caputo MR, Müller AJ, Cavallo D. Surface Roughness Enhances Self-Nucleation of High-Density Polyethylene Droplets Dispersed within Immiscible Blends. Macromolecules 2022; 55:1412-1423. [PMID: 35237024 PMCID: PMC8874415 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Highly linear or
high-density polyethylenes (HDPEs) have an intrinsically
high nucleation density compared to other polyolefins. Enhancing their
nucleation density by self-nucleation is therefore difficult, leading
to a narrow self-nucleation Domain (i.e., the so-called DomainII or the temperature Domain where self-nuclei can be injected into the material without the
occurrence of annealing). In this work, we report that when HDPE is
blended (up to 50%) with immiscible matrices, such as atactic polystyrene
(PS) or Nylon 6, its self-nucleation capacity can be greatly increased.
In addition, temperatures higher than the equilibrium melting temperature
of the HDPE phase are needed to erase the significantly enhanced crystalline
memory in the blends. Morphological evidence gathered by Scanning
and Transmission Electron Microscopies (SEM and TEM) indicates that
these unexpected results can be explained by the modification of the
interface between blend components. The filling of the solid HDPE
surface asperities by the low viscosity polystyrene during heating
to the self-nucleation temperature, or the crystallization of the
matrix in the case of Nylon 6, enhances the interface roughness between
the two polymers in the blends. Such rougher interfaces can remarkably
increase the self-nucleation capacity of the HDPE phase via surface
nucleation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seif Eddine Fenni
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Caputo
- Polymat and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- Polymat and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi 5, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Dario Cavallo
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
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15
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Schmalz H, Abetz V. Block Copolymers with Crystallizable Blocks: Synthesis, Self-Assembly and Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14040696. [PMID: 35215610 PMCID: PMC8875877 DOI: 10.3390/polym14040696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Block copolymers with crystallizable blocks are a highly interesting class of materials owing to their unique self-assembly behaviour both in bulk and solution. This Special Issue brings together new developments in the synthesis and self-assembly of semicrystalline block copolymers and also addresses potential applications of these exciting materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Schmalz
- Macromolecular Chemistry II and Bavarian Polymer Institute, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Correspondence: (H.S.); (V.A.)
| | - Volker Abetz
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Membrane Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
- Correspondence: (H.S.); (V.A.)
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16
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Carmeli E, Ottonello S, Wang B, Menyhárd A, Müller AJ, Cavallo D. Competing crystallization of α- and β-phase induced by β-nucleating agents in microdroplets of isotactic polypropylene. CrystEngComm 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2ce00087c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Crystallization of heterogeneously nucleated isotactic polypropylene microdroplets in an immiscible polystyrene matrix allows the estimation of intrinsic nucleating efficiency of nucleating agents promoting the formation of different polymorphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Carmeli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
- Borealis Polyolefine GmbH, Innovation Headquarters, St. Peterstrasse 25, 4021, Linz, Austria
| | - Sara Ottonello
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Bao Wang
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Alfréd Menyhárd
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- Polymat and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Dario Cavallo
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
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17
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Yarysheva AY, Sitnov NA, Bakirov AV, Yarysheva LM, Arzhakov MS, Arzhakova OV, Chvalun SN. Effect of Nanoscale Confinements on the Crystallization of Poly(ethylene oxide) in the Pores of Polyolefins Deformed by the Crazing Mechanism. POLYMER SCIENCE SERIES A 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0965545x21060146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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18
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Xu W, Zheng Y, Pan P. Crystallization‐driven self‐assembly of semicrystalline block copolymers and end‐functionalized polymers: A minireview. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenqing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou China
| | - Ying Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou China
- Institute of Zhejiang University—Quzhou Quzhou China
| | - Pengju Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou China
- Institute of Zhejiang University—Quzhou Quzhou China
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19
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Pérez-Camargo RA, Liu G, Meabe L, Zhao Y, Sardon H, Müller AJ, Wang D. Using Successive Self-Nucleation and Annealing to Detect the Solid–Solid Transitions in Poly(hexamethylene carbonate) and Poly(octamethylene carbonate). Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Arpad Pérez-Camargo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Guoming Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Leire Meabe
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Ying Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haritz Sardon
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián 20018, Spain
- IKESBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi 5, Bilbao 48009, Spain
| | - Dujin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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20
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Hils C, Schmelz J, Drechsler M, Schmalz H. Janus Micelles by Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly of an Amphiphilic, Double-Crystalline Triblock Terpolymer. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:15582-15586. [PMID: 34529422 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c08076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Surface-compartmentalized micellar nanostructures (Janus and patchy micelles) have gained increasing interest due to their unique properties opening highly relevant applications, e.g., as efficient particulate surfactants, compatibilizers in polymer blends, or templates for catalytically active nanoparticles. We present a facile method for the production of worm-like Janus micelles based on crystallization-driven self-assembly of a double-crystalline triblock terpolymer with a crystallizable polyethylene middle block and two highly incompatible corona blocks, polystyrene and poly(ethylene oxide). This approach enables the production of amphiphilic Janus micelles with excellent interfacial activity by a comparably simple heating and cooling protocol directly in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Hils
- Macromolecular Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Joachim Schmelz
- Macromolecular Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Markus Drechsler
- Keylab Electron and Optical Microscopy, Bavarian Polymer Institute, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Holger Schmalz
- Macromolecular Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,Keylab Synthesis and Molecular Characterization, Bavarian Polymer Institute, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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21
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Carmeli E, Fenni SE, Caputo MR, Müller AJ, Tranchida D, Cavallo D. Surface Nucleation of Dispersed Polyethylene Droplets in Immiscible Blends Revealed by Polypropylene Matrix Self-Nucleation. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Carmeli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Seif Eddine Fenni
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Caputo
- Polymat and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- Polymat and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Davide Tranchida
- Borealis Polyolefine GmbH, Innovation Headquarters, St. Peterstrasse 25, 4021 Linz, Austria
| | - Dario Cavallo
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
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22
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Rigid amorphous fraction and crystallinity in cold-crystallized syndiotactic polystyrene: Characterization by differential scanning calorimetry. POLYMER 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2021.124044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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23
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The Blending of Poly(glycolic acid) with Polycaprolactone and Poly(l-lactide): Promising Combinations. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13162780. [PMID: 34451318 PMCID: PMC8400216 DOI: 10.3390/polym13162780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) holds unique properties, including high gas barrier properties, high tensile strength, high resistance to common organic solvents, high heat distortion temperature, high stiffness, as well as fast biodegradability and compostability. Nevertheless, this polymer has not been exploited at a large scale due to its relatively high production cost. As such, the combination of PGA with other bioplastics on one hand could reduce the material final cost and on the other disclose new properties while maintaining its “green” features. With this in mind, in this work, PGA was combined with two of the most widely applied bioplastics, namely poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and poycaprolactone (PCL), using the melt blending technique, which is an easily scalable method. FE-SEM measurements demonstrated the formation of PGA domains whose dimensions depended on the polymer matrix and which turned out to decrease by diminishing the PGA content in the mixture. Although there was scarce compatibility between the blend components, interestingly, PGA was found to affect both the thermal properties and the degradation behavior of the polymer matrices. In particular, concerning the latter property, the presence of PGA in the blends turned out to accelerate the hydrolysis process, particularly in the case of the PLLA-based systems.
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24
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Abstract
Crystallization of polymeric materials under nanoscopic confinement is highly relevant for nanotechnology applications. When a polymer is confined within rigid nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, the crystallization behavior experiences dramatic changes as the pore size is reduced, including nucleation mechanism, crystal orientation, crystallization kinetics, and polymorphic transition, etc. As an experimental prerequisite, exhaustive cleaning procedures after infiltrations of polymers in AAO pores must be performed to ensure producing an ensemble of isolated polymer-filled nanopores. Layers of residual polymers on the AAO surface percolate nanopores and lead to the so-called "fractionated crystallization", i.e., multiple crystallization peaks during cooling.Because the density of isolated nanopores in a typical AAO template exceeds the density of heterogeneities in bulk polymers, the majority of nanopores will be heterogeneity-free. This means that the nucleation will proceed by surface or homogeneous nucleation. As a consequence, a very large supercooling is necessary for crystallization, and its kinetics is reduced to a first-order process that is dominated by nucleation. Self-nucleation is a powerful method to exponentially increase nucleation density. However, when the diameter of the nanopores is lower than a critical value, confinement prevents the possibility to self-nucleate the material.Because of the anisotropic nature of AAO pores, polymer crystals inside AAO also exhibit anisotropy, which is determined by thermodynamic stability and kinetic selection rules. For low molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with extended chain crystals, the orientation of polymer crystals changes from the "chain perpendicular to" to the "chain parallel to" the AAO pore axis, when the diameter of AAO decreases to the contour length of the PEO, indicating the effect of thermodynamic stability. When the thermodynamic requirement is satisfied, the orientation is determined by kinetics including crystal growth direction, nucleation, and crystal growth rate. An orientation diagram has been established for the PEO/AAO system, considering the cooling condition and pore size.The interfacial polymer layer has different physical properties as compared to the bulk. In poly(l-lactic acid), the relationship between the segmental mobility of the interfacial layer and crystallization rate is established. For the investigation of polymorphic transition of poly(butane-1), the results indicate that a 12 nm interfacial layer hinders the transition of Form II to Form I. Block and random copolymers have also been infiltrated into AAO nanopores, and their crystallization behavior is analogously affected as pore size is reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoming Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal, 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, 48009, Spain
| | - Dujin Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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25
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Matxinandiarena E, Múgica A, Tercjak A, Ladelta V, Zapsas G, Hadjichristidis N, Cavallo D, Flores A, Müller AJ. Sequential Crystallization and Multicrystalline Morphology in PE- b-PEO- b-PCL- b-PLLA Tetrablock Quarterpolymers. Macromolecules 2021; 54:7244-7257. [PMID: 35663800 PMCID: PMC9159653 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
We
investigate for the first time the morphology and crystallization
of two novel tetrablock quarterpolymers of polyethylene (PE), poly(ethylene
oxide) (PEO), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), and poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) with four potentially crystallizable blocks: PE187.1-b-PEO3715.1-b-PCL2610.4-b-PLLA197.6 (Q1) and PE299.5-b-PEO268.8-b-PCL237.6-b-PLLA227.3 (Q2) (superscripts give number average molecular weights
in kg/mol, and subscripts give the composition in wt %). Their synthesis
was performed by a combination of polyhomologation (C1 polymerization)
and ring-opening polymerization techniques using a ″catalyst-switch″
strategy, either ″organocatalyst/metal catalyst switch″
(Q1 sample, 96% isotactic tetrads) or ″organocatalyst/organocatalyst
switch″ (Q2 sample, 84% isotactic tetrads). Their corresponding
precursors—triblock terpolymers PE-b-PEO-b-PCL, diblock copolymers PE-b-PEO, and
PE homopolymers—were also studied. Cooling and heating rates
from the melt at 20 °C/min were employed for most experiments:
differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light optical microscopy
(PLOM), in situ small-angle X-ray scattering/wide-angle
X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The
direct comparison of the results obtained with these different techniques
allows the precise identification of the crystallization sequence
of the blocks upon cooling from the melt. SAXS indicated that Q1 is
melt miscible, while Q2 is weakly segregated in the melt but breaks
out during crystallization. According to WAXS and DSC results, the
blocks follow a sequence as they crystallize: PLLA first, then PE,
then PCL, and finally PEO in the case of the Q1 quarterpolymer; in
Q2, the PLLA block is not able to crystallize due to its low isotacticity.
Although the temperatures at which the PEO and PCL blocks and the
PE and PLLA blocks crystallize overlap, the analysis of the intensity
changes measured by WAXS and PLOM experiments allows identifying each
of the crystallization processes. The quarterpolymer Q1 remarkably
self-assembles during crystallization into tetracrystalline banded
spherulites, where four types of different lamellae coexist. Nanostructural
features arising upon sequential crystallization are found to have
a relevant impact on the mechanical properties. Nanoindentation measurements
show that storage modulus and hardness of the Q1 quarterpolymer significantly
deviate from those of the stiff PE and PLLA blocks, approaching typical
values of compliant PEO and PCL. Results are mainly attributed to
the low crystallinity of the PE and PLLA blocks. Moreover, the Q2
copolymer exhibits inferior mechanical properties than Q1, and this
can be related to the PE block within Q1 that has thinner crystal
lamellae according to its much lower melting point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eider Matxinandiarena
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel Lardizábal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Agurtzane Múgica
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel Lardizábal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Agnieszka Tercjak
- Group ‘Materials + Technologies’, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Plaza Europa 1, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Viko Ladelta
- Polymer Synthesis Laboratory, KAUST Catalysis Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - George Zapsas
- Polymer Synthesis Laboratory, KAUST Catalysis Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nikos Hadjichristidis
- Polymer Synthesis Laboratory, KAUST Catalysis Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dario Cavallo
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Araceli Flores
- Polymer Physics, Elastomers and Applications Energy, Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel Lardizábal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi 5, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
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26
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Polyether Single and Double Crystalline Blends and the Effect of Lithium Salt on Their Crystallinity and Ionic Conductivity. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13132097. [PMID: 34202328 PMCID: PMC8271483 DOI: 10.3390/polym13132097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, blends of Poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, and poly(1,6-hexanediol), PHD, were prepared in a wide composition range. They were examined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Polarized Light Optical Microscopy (PLOM) and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS). Based on the results obtained, the blends were partially miscible in the melt and their crystallization was a function of miscibility and composition. Crystallization triggered phase separation. In blends with higher PEO contents both phases were able to crystallize due to the limited miscibility in this composition range. On the other hand, the blends with higher PHD contents display higher miscibility and therefore, only the PHD phase could crystallize in them. A nucleation effect of the PHD phase on the PEO phase was detected, probably caused by a transference of impurities mechanism. Since PEO is widely used as electrolyte in lithium batteries, the PEO/PHD blends were studied with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI), and the effect of Li-salt concentration was studied. We found that the lithium salt preferentially dissolves in the PEO phase without significantly affecting the PHD component. While the Li-salt reduced the spherulite growth rate of the PEO phase within the blends, the overall crystallization rate was enhanced because of the strong nucleating effect of the PHD component. The ionic conductivity was also determined for the blends with Li-salt. At high temperatures (>70 °C), the conductivity is in the order of ~10−3 S cm−1, and as the temperature decreases, the crystallization of PHD was detected. This improved the self-standing character of the blend films at high temperatures as compared to the one of neat PEO.
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27
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Wang B, Mathew A, Napolitano S. Temperature and Thickness Dependence of the Time Scale of Crystallization of Polymers under 1D Confinement. ACS Macro Lett 2021; 10:476-480. [PMID: 35549220 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Confined in nanodomains, polymers crystallize much slower than in bulk due to both finite size and interfacial effects. These two factors are successfully disentangled in our phenomenological framework, which provides a measurement of the time scale of crystallization via a product of probabilities involving nucleation and of chain diffusion. In this Letter, we demonstrate that our model allows determining the Gibbs free energy of the formation of a critical size nucleus indicated by the classical nucleation theory for bulk polymer melts. In addition to that, by means of segmental mobility data and one single set of isothermal crystallization measurements at different confinement degrees, our model predicts the right temperature and thickness dependence of the crystallization time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Wang
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Allen Mathew
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels 1050, Belgium
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28
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Wang M, Li J, Shi G, Liu G, Müller AJ, Wang D. Suppression of the Self-Nucleation Effect of Semicrystalline Polymers by Confinement. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ming Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Guangyu Shi
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Guoming Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, Donostia-San Sebastián 20018, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48013, Spain
| | - Dujin Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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