Publications
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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
- The Effect of Short and Long Range Interactions on the Break up and Dewetting of Thin Polymer Films
- G. Reiter. Proceedings of the MRS Fall meeting 1991, Boston, USA
- TOREMA - A Neutron Reflectometer at Jülich
- M. Stamm, S. Hüttenbach, G. Reiter. Physica B 173, 11 (1991)
- The Use of X-ray and Neutron Reflectometry for the Investigation of Polymeric Thin Films
- M. Stamm, G. Reiter, K. Kunz. Physica B 173, 35 (1991)
- The Interface between 2 Strongly Incompatible Polymers
- S. Hüttenbach, M. Stamm, G. Reiter, M. Foster. Langmuir 7, 2438 (1991)
- Initial Stages of Polymer Interdiffusion Studied by Neutron Reflectometry
- M. Stamm, S. Hüttenbach, G. Reiter, T. Springer. Europhys. Lett. 14, 451 (1991)
- Measurements of Polymer Diffusion Over Small Distances: A Check of Reptation Arguments
- G. Reiter, U. Steiner. J. Phys. (France) II 1, 659-671 (1991)
- Time Regimes in Polymer Interdiffusion Determined by Marker Movement
- G. Reiter, S. Hüttenbach, M. Foster, M. Stamm. Macromolecules 24, 1179 (1991)
- X-ray and Neutron Reflectometry for the Investigation of Polymer Diffusion
- G. Reiter, S. Hüttenbach, M. Foster, M. Stamm. Fresenius J. Anal. Chem. 341, 284-288 (1991)
- Molecular-Dynamics in Perfluoro-n-Eicosane. 3. Oscillatory and Diffusive Translational Motion
- T. Albrecht, R. Jäger, W. Petry, R. Steiner, G. Strobl, B. Stühn. Journal of Chemical Physics 95, 2817-2822 (1991)
- Molecular-Dynamics in Perfluoro-n-Eicosane. 2. Components of Disorder
- T. Albrecht, H. Elben, R. Jäger, M. Kimmig, R. Steiner, G. Strobl, B. Stühn, H. Schwickert, C. Ritter. Journal of Chemical Physics 95, 2807-2816 (1991)
- Molecular-Dynamics in Perfluoro-n-Eicosane. 1. Solid-Phase Behavior and Crystal-Structures
- H. Schwickert, G. Strobl, M. Kimmig. Journal of Chemical Physics 95, 2800-2806 (1991)
- Mesogenic 4-Methoxyphenyl 4-Hexyloxybenzoate
- W. Haase, H. Paulus, G. Strobl, W. Hotz. Acta Crystallographica C, Crystal Structure Communications 47, 2005-2006 (1991)
- Ellipsometric characterisation of Langmuir monolayer of “hairy-rod” polymeres at the air-water interface
- H. Motschmann, R. Reiter, R. Lawall, G. Duda, M. Stamm, G. Wegner, W. Knoll. Langmuir 7, 2743-2747 (1991)
- Comparative Study of Individual and Collective Rotational Motion in Mixtures of Liquid Crystalline Side Group Polymers and Low Molecular Weight Mesogens
- H. Seiberle, W. Stille and G. Strobl. Macromolecules 23, 2008 (1990)
- Interdiffusion of Polymer Thin Films as Determined by Scattering Techniques
- M. Stamm, D. Brautmeier, G. Reiter, M. Foster. Proceed. of the 48th ANTEC 1990 Dallas, USA on "Plastics in the Environment: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" 36, 825 (1990)
- Characterisation of Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces by Reflectivity and Interference Techniques
- M. Stamm, G. Reiter, M. Foster, H. Motschmann, S.Hüttenbach, C. Toprakcioglu. Sci. and Eng., ACS/PMSE 62, 843 (1990)
- Interfacial Mixing of Polymers as Investigated by X-ray and Neutron Reflectometry
- M. Stamm, G. Reiter, S. Hüttenbach, M. Foster. ACS Polymer preprints 31, 73 (1990)
- X-ray Reflectometer for Study of Polymer Thin Films and Interfaces
- M. Foster, M. Stamm, G. Reiter, S. Hüttenbach. Vacuum, 41, 1441-1444 (1990)
- Positron Lifetime Investigations on Linear Polyethylene Compared to Branched Polyethylene
- G. Reiter, P. Kindl. phys. stat. sol. (a) 118, 161-168 (1990)
- Concentration-Dependence of the Flory-Huggins Interaction Parameter of a Polymer Blend as Determined by Small-Angle X-Ray-Scattering Experiments
- T. Koch, G.R. Strobl. Journal of Polymer Science B - Polymer Physics 28, 343-353 (1990)