Publications
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Recent Publications
Temperature dependence of crystal – melt coexistence for supported polyethylene filaments
Da Huang, Thorsten Hugel, Bizan N. Balzer, Günter Reiter. Nature Communications 16 (2025) 11127
The broken symmetry of molecular interactions at interfaces is causing that crystals are often covered by a thin liquid layer of their own melt. Such crystal–melt coexistence can be related to phenomena of surface premelting, secondary nucleation and melting point depression, particularly important for small systems. Here, we employed intermittent-contact mode atomic force microscopy imaging on nanoscopic semi-cylindrical filaments of polyethylene on a substrate to observe that these filaments contained a crystalline core bounded by molten regions of rather uniform width, W_soft= (9 ± 2) nm at room temperature, which increased reversibly with temperature T. Filaments smaller than ca. 2∙W_soft (T) were completely molten. The values of W_soft (T) compared favorably with theoretically predicted characteristic length scales in the context of nucleation, surface premelting and the melting point depression of finite size crystals. Altogether, we show that these three phenomena are related and dominated by the intermolecular forces acting at crystal surfaces.
Crystallization of Layers of Strongly Adsorbed Poly(ethylene terephthalate) on Silicon Substrates
Liang Chen, Zhihang Bian, Xiaonan Li, Zhenwei Jiang, Jianquan Xu, Decai Lin, Guenter Reiter, Jichun You, Xinping Wang. Macromolecules 58 (2025) 12222–12230
We examined the crystallization behavior of ultrathin layers of strongly adsorbed poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) chains on silicon substrates, yielding a characteristic morphology of uniquely curved dendritic polymer crystals. The observed curvature resulted from bent edge-on lamellar crystals from which terraced flat-on branched lamellar crystals grew essentially from the convex outer side. The degree of bending increased with decreasing crystallization temperature and increasing strength of polymer/substrate interactions. We propose that unbalanced stresses acting on the fold surfaces of PET lamellar crystals, probably induced by strong interactions with the substrate, were responsible for the observed curvature of the lamellar crystals. (more...)
Crystallization and Melting of Polyethylene Strongly Cross-linked in the Molten State
Jingqing Li, Weihua Wang, Yunxiang Shi, Barbara Heck, Chuanfu Luo, Jesper de Claville Christiansen, Donghong Yu, Günter Reiter, Shichun Jiang. Soft Matter 21 (2025) 6422
We examined the crystallization and melting behavior of highly cross-linked polyethylene (xPE) samples, including structural characterization of the resulting crystalline domains. Using γ-ray irradiation, cross-linking was performed in the molten state and not in the solid state. This approach assured a statistical and homogeneous distribution of the cross-link points. Upon increasing the radiation dose, the molecular weight of the strands connecting the cross-link points reached values even lower than that of the strands between physical entanglements. (more...)
List of Publications
- 高分子の物理―構造と物性を理解するために (単行本)
- G.R. ストローブル (著), Gert R. Strobl (原著), 深尾 浩次 (翻訳), 宮地 英紀 (翻訳), 宮本 嘉久 (翻訳), 林 久夫 (翻訳). 出版社: シュプリンガー・フェアラーク東京 (1998/2010) ISBN 978-4431707950
- Two Competing Crystallization Modes in a Smectogenic Polyester
- Barbara Heck, Ernesto Perez and Gert Strobl. Macromolecules 43, 4172-4183 (2010)
- Oriented crystallization of isotactic polystyrene in films prepared by friction transfer
- K. Jradi, S. Bistac, M. Schmitt, G. Reiter. Polymer 50, 3724-3729 (2009)
- Enhancing nucleation and controlling crystal orientation by rubbing/scratching the surface of a thin polymer film
- K. Jradi, S. Bistac, M. Schmitt, A. Schmatulla, G. Reiter. Eur. Phys. J. E 29, 383-389 (2009)
- Microstructured Surfaces Cause Severe but Non-Detrimental Deformation of the Cell Nucleus
- Patricia M. Davidson, Hayriye Ozcelik, Vasif Hasirci, Guenter Reiter, Karine Anselme. Advanced Materials 21, 3586 (2009)
- On the mechanics of rim instabilities in viscoelastic polymer thin films
- S. Gabriele, S. Coppee, G. Reiter, P. Damman. Eur. Phys. J.-Special Topics 166, 55-61 (2009)
- Crystallization in diblock copolymer thin films at different degrees of supercooling
- C. Darko, I. Botiz, G. Reiter, D.W. Breiby, J.W. Andreasen, S. V. Roth, D.-M. Smilgies, E. Metwalli, C.M. Papadakis. Phys. Rev. E 79, 041802 (2009)
- Branched substituents generate improved supramolecular ordering in physisorbed molecular assemblies
- F. Vonau, M. Linares, B. Isare, D. Aubel, M. Habar, L. Bouteiller, G. Reiter, V. Geskin, F. Zerbetto, R. Lazzaroni, L. Simon. J. Phys. Chem. C 113, 4955-4959 (2009)
- Polymer crystallization under nano-confinement of droplets studied by molecular simulations
- Wenbing Hu, Tao Cai, Yu Ma, Jamie K. Hobbs, O. Farrance, Günter Reiter. Faraday Discussions 143, 129-141 (2009)
- Cloning Polymer Single Crystals through Self-seeding
- Jianjun Xu, Yu Ma, Wenbing Hu, Matthias Rehahn, and Günter Reiter. Nature Materials 8, 348-353 (2009)
- Structuring the Surface of Crystallizable Polymers with an AFM Tip
- Cvetlin Vasilev, Günter Reiter, Khalil Jradi, Sophie Bistac, Marjorie Schmitt. In: "Scanning Probe Microscopy in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology" Part 3, Ed. Bharat Bhushan, "NanoScience and Technology" Series, Springer 2010, ISBN 978-3-642-03534-0
- Visualizing properties of polymers at interfaces: Relations between molecular features and macroscopic behaviour
- Günter Reiter. In “Soft Matter: Scattering, Imaging and Manipulation”, Volume IV: Imaging and Manipulation Techniques Eds.: R. Pecora, R. Borsali, Springer 2008, ISBN 978-1402044649
- Some general remarks on crystallization in the presence of additives
- Günter Reiter and Jean-Georges Barth. Elemente der Naturwissenschaft 92, 39-61 (2010)
- Network swelling competing with translational entropy in autophobic polymer dewetting
- W. Beziel, G. Reiter, E. Drockenmuller, R.-V. Ostaci, S. Al Akhrass, F. Cousin, M. Sferrazza. Europhysics Letters 90, 26008 (2010)
- Processes of Ordered Structure Formation in Polypeptide Thin Film Solutions
- Ioan Botiz, Helmut Schlaad, Günter Reiter. Adv. in Polymer Science, 242 (2011) 117-149
- Multi-curvature liquid meniscus in a nanochannel: Evidence of interplay between intermolecular and surface forces
- Pilnam Kim, Ho-Young Kim, Jae Kwan Kim, Günter Reiter, Kahp Y. Suh. Lab Chip 9, 3255-3260 (2009)
- Self-assembled patterns from evaporating layered fluids
- L. V. Govor, J. Parisi, G. H. Bauer, G. Reiter. Journal of Physics - Condensed Matter 21, 264015 (2009)
- Dewetting as an investigative tool for studying properties of thin polymer films
- Günter Reiter, Samer Al Akhrass, Moustafa Hamieh, Pascal Damman, Sylvain Gabriele, Thomas Vilmin, Elie Raphaël. Eur. Phys. J. - Special Topics 166, 165-172 (2009)
- Characterizing and modeling the non-linear viscoelastic tensile deformation of a glass fiber reinforced polypropylene
- J. Fritsch, S. Hiermaier, G. Strobl. Composites Science and Technology 69, 2460-2466 (2009)
- Colloqium: Laws controlling crystallization and melting in bulk polymers
- G. Strobl. Rev. Mod. Phys. 81, 1287-1300 (2009)