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Recent Publications
The size of critical secondary nuclei of polymer crystals does not depend on supersaturation
Yang Liu, Zhiqi Wang, Yao Zhang, Tianyu Wu, Tianze Zheng, Bao Hua Guo, Günter Reiter, Jun Xu. Nature Communications 16 (2025) 3773
It is still a great challenge to determine the size of critical nuclei, which is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of crystallization and for testing the controversial crystallization theories. Here, we propose a method to determine the size of critical secondary nuclei on growth faces of poly(butylene succinate) single crystals in solution, basing on the probability of statistically selecting crystallizable units in random copolymers. In a dilute solution and for a given crystallization temperature, we reveal that the size of critical secondary nuclei was independent of supersaturation, contrary to the well-accepted prediction of existing theories which expect that the size of the critical nucleus increases with decreasing supersaturation. Accounting correctly for the dilution-caused change in the steady-state concentration of clusters of various sizes, we remedy inconsistencies of existing theoretical approaches in deriving the correct size of critical secondary nuclei in solution being independent of supersaturation. (more...)
Binghua Wang, Hailong Zou, Xuchen Wang, Changyu Shen, Jingbo Chen, Günter Reiter, Bin Zhang. Nature Communications 16 (2025) 3275
The dissolution of polymer crystals often proceeds at rates varying in time and space. Here, using low molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) as a model polymer, we exploit step-wise selective dissolution for unveiling how spatial variations in metastability are generated during the growth of lamellar polymer single crystals. The dissolution velocity along defined crystal faces is constant, but ca. 5 times faster for rough than for smooth faces. From the temperature dependence of dissolution, we derive detachment energies of 420 ± 40 kJ/mol and 650 ± 50 kJ/mol for rough and smooth faces, respectively, suggesting that on a rough face polymer chains have ca. 1/3 less neighboring molecules to interact with. The observed high values of the activation energy indicate that, for dissolving a polymer crystal, the progressive detachment of whole chains is indispensable. Our study reveals a strong relation between growth kinetics and the resulting metastability of polymer crystals. (more...)
Baode Zhang, Snežana D. Zarić, Sonja S. Zrilić, Iosif Gofman, Barbara Heck, Günter Reiter. Communications Chemistry 8 (2025) 21
The interplay between attractive London dispersion forces and steric effects due to repulsive forces resulting from the Pauli principle often determines the geometry and stability of nanostructures. Aromatic polyimides (PI) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) were chosen as building blocks as two components in the hetero delocalized electron nanostructures. Two PIs, having the same diamine part and different linkage substituents between two phenyl rings of dianhydride part, one linked with ether bond (C-O-C) (OPI), the other with C-(CF3)2 (FPI), were investigated. Surprisingly, two CNT/PI nanocomposites show distinct failure mode from CNT yielding to CNT pull-out failure. Calculation of the interaction energy and chain conformations of each PI upon CNT was performed by accurate density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular dynamic simulation (MDS). (more...)
Valentina Pirela, Leire Unanue, Justine Elgoyhen, Javier Ramos, Juan Francisco Vega, Agurtzane Mugica, Manuela Zubitur, Cuong Minh Quoc Le, Abraham Chemtob, Radmila Tomovska, Günter Reiter, Jaime Martín, Alejandro J. Müller. European Polymer Journal (2025) 113721
This work studies how the chemical structure of relatively similar high-sulfur alternating polythioether homopolymers (DMDS-alt-DVE, DMDS-alt-TEGDVE, and DMDS-alt-BDDVE) affects their structural properties, morphology, polymorphism, and crystallization kinetics. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized light optical microscopy (PLOM) experiments revealed a complex crystallization for the samples in which up to three different polymorphic phases were identified: a very low melting crystal form (VL-Tm form), a low melting crystal form (L-Tm form) and a high melting crystal form (H-Tm form), characterized by their corresponding melting temperature ranges and confirmed via Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS). A coexistence of negative and positive spherulites was found, and their origin was revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which showed how the lamellar arrangement varied in the samples from predominantly radial to a cross-hatched morphology. (more...)
List of Publications
- Nanometer-scale Surface Patterns with Long Range Order Created by Crystallisation of Diblock Copolymers
- G. Reiter, G. Castelein, P. Hoerner, G. Riess, A. Blumen, J.-U. Sommer. Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3844-3847 (1999)
- A Thin Film Analog of the Corneal Mucus Layer of the Tear Film: An Enigmatic Long Range Non-Classical DLVO Interaction in the Breakup of Thin Polymer Films
- A. Sharma, R. Khanna, G. Reiter. Colloids & Surfaces B 14, 223-235 (1999)
- The Strength of Long-Range Forces Across Thin Liquid Films
- G. Reiter, A. Sharma, R. Khanna, A. Casoli, M.O. David. J. Coll. Interf. Sci. 214, 126 (1999)
- Destabilising Effect of Long Range Forces in Thin Liquid Films on Wettable Substrates
- G. Reiter, A. Sharma, A. Casoli, M.-O. David, R. Khanna, P. Auroy. Europhys. Lett. 46, 512 (1999)
- Thin Film Instability Induced by Long Range Forces
- G. Reiter, A. Sharma, A. Casoli, M.O. David, R. Khanna, P. Auroy. Langmuir 15, 2551-2558 (1999)
- Network stretching, slip processes, and fragmentation of crystallites during uniaxial drawing of polyethylene and related copolymers. A comparative study
- R. Hiss, S. Hobeika, C. Lynn, G. Strobl. Macromolecules 32, 4390-4403 (1999)
- Reversible surface melting of PE and PEO crystallites indicated by TMDSC
- W.B. Hu, T. Albrecht, G. Strobl. Macromolecules 32, 7548-7554 (1999)
- A general scheme derived from video-controlled stretching tests and WAXS for describing tensile deformations of polyethylenes
- R. Hiss, S. Hobeika, C. Lynn, G. Strobl. Journal of Macromolecular Science - Physics B38, 847-858 (1999)
- Steps in the transition of an entangled polymer melt to the partially crystalline state
- B. Heck, T. Hugel, M. Iijima, E. Sadiku, G. Strobl. New Journal of Physics 1, 17 (1999).
- Building lamellae from blocks: The pathway followed in the formation of crystallites of syndiotactic polypropylene
- T. Hugel, G. Strobl, R. Thomann. Acta Polymerica, 50, 214 (1999)
- Adhesion Failure and Dewetting of Thin Liquid Films
- A. Sharma, R. Khanna and G. Reiter. Festschrift on Adhesion Science and Technology, p. 199-237, W.J. van Ooij and H.R. Anderson, eds., VSP Publishers, Utrecht (1998)
- Détermination de forces intermoléculaires par microscopie optique: effet de connecteurs polymères
- A.Casoli, G.Reiter, M.Brendlé, J. Schultz. Ouvrage des actes “Imagerie des Polymères” (Colloque international francophone, Nancy, Février 1998, (Apollor)
- Self-assembly of Crystallisable Diblock Copolymers
- G. Reiter, P. Hoerner, G. Hurtrez, G. Riess, J.-U. Sommer, J.-F. Joanny. J. Surf. Sci. Tech. 14 , 93-103 (1998)
- Role of Intermolecular Interactions in Pattern Formation in Unstable Thin Films
- A. Sharma, G. Reiter. Metals Materials and Processes 10, 287-302 (1998)
- The artistic side of intermolecular forces
- G. Reiter. Science 282, 888-889 (1998)
- Structure and dynamics of structure formation in model triarm star block copolymers of polystyrene, poly(ethylene oxide), and poly(epsilon-caprolactone)
- G. Floudas, G. Reiter, O. Lambert, P. Dumas. Macromolecules 31, 7279-7290 (1998)
- Crystallisation of Adsorbed Polymer Monolayers
- G. Reiter, J.-U. Sommer. Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 3771 (1998)
- Deformation of a Glassy Polymer Film by Long-Range Intermolecular Forces
- M.O. David, G. Reiter, T. Sitthai, J. Schultz. Langmuir 14, 5667-5672 (1998)
- Capillary waves on a poly(vinylacetate) surface studied by off-specular diffuse X-ray scattering
- S. Bauer, G.R. Strobl. Polymer Bulletin 40, 291-296 (1998)
- Superheating effects during the melting of crystallites of syndiotactic polypropylene analysed by temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry
- J.E.K. Schawe, G.R. Strobl. Polymer 39, 3745-3751 (1998)