Ran Chen, Chuanfu Luo, Shichun Jiang, Xiaoniu Yang
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Chain-End Modifications Suppressing Lamellar Thickening of Short Semicrystalline Polymers under Isothermal Annealing: Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are employed to investigate the effect of chain-end modifications on the lamellar thickening in short-chain semicrystalline polymers during isothermal annealing. Analysis of transformation patterns reveals the coexistence of chain-sliding and melting–recrystallization mechanisms. Lamellar thickening proceeds via a two-step mechanism of nucleation and growth. Nucleation preferentially occurs in regions enriched with nonfolded chains, with a critical nucleus size of approximately 30 stems. Two lamellar growth modes during recrystallization are identified: crystallization at the lateral growth front and direct insertion of amorphous chains into existing lamellae through one of the two end surfaces. Introduction of bulky chain ends significantly suppresses lamellar thickening by sterically hindering the unfolding-insertion mechanism. These results elucidate the microscopic mechanisms of lamellar thickening and underscore the pivotal role of chain-end size in modulating polymer crystallization.
期刊介绍:
Macromolecules publishes original, fundamental, and impactful research on all aspects of polymer science. Topics of interest include synthesis (e.g., controlled polymerizations, polymerization catalysis, post polymerization modification, new monomer structures and polymer architectures, and polymerization mechanisms/kinetics analysis); phase behavior, thermodynamics, dynamic, and ordering/disordering phenomena (e.g., self-assembly, gelation, crystallization, solution/melt/solid-state characteristics); structure and properties (e.g., mechanical and rheological properties, surface/interfacial characteristics, electronic and transport properties); new state of the art characterization (e.g., spectroscopy, scattering, microscopy, rheology), simulation (e.g., Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics, multi-scale/coarse-grained modeling), and theoretical methods. Renewable/sustainable polymers, polymer networks, responsive polymers, electro-, magneto- and opto-active macromolecules, inorganic polymers, charge-transporting polymers (ion-containing, semiconducting, and conducting), nanostructured polymers, and polymer composites are also of interest. Typical papers published in Macromolecules showcase important and innovative concepts, experimental methods/observations, and theoretical/computational approaches that demonstrate a fundamental advance in the understanding of polymers.