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
- A model treating tensile deformation of semi-crystalline polymers: Quasi-static stress-strain relationship and viscous stress determined for a sample of polyethylene
- K. Hong, A. Rastogi and G. Strobl. Macromolecules 37, 10165 (2004)
- Crystallization of s-polypropylene: a qualitative change in the kinetics induced by the temperature of the melt
- Barbara Heck, Gert Strobl. Coll. Polym. Science 282, 511-513 (2004)
- Summary and conclusions: Progress in our understanding of instabilities in thin films
- G. Reiter. Eur. Phys. J. E, 12, 465 –468 (2003)
- Self-Assembly of CoPt3 Nanoparticle Rings Based on Phase-Separated Hexadecylamine Droplet Structure
- Leonid V. Govor, Gottfried H. Bauer, Günter Reiter, Elena Shevchenko, Horst Weller, Jürgen Parisi. Langmuir 19, 9573-9576 (2003)
- Dewetting near the Glass Transition: Transition from a Capillary Force Dominated to a Dissipation Dominated Regime
- Pascal Damman, Nancy Baudelet, Günter Reiter Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 216101 (2003)
- Model Experiments for a Molecular Understanding of Polymer Crystallization
- G. Reiter. J. Polym. Sci. Part B Polym. Phys. 41, 1869-1877 (2003)
- Chances and Challenges in Europe
- G. Reiter, N. Hadjichristidis, M. Möller. Nature Materials 2, 67-69 (2003)
- Effet autophobe et démouillage des couches minces de polymères
- G. Reiter. L’Actualité Chimique, Janvier 2003, p. 12-17
- Polymer Crystallization on Pre-patterned Substrates
- G. Dorenbos, J.-U. Sommer, G. Reiter. J. Chem. Phys. 118, 784-791 (2003)
- Thermodynamics of Formation, Reorganization and Melting of Confined Nanometer-sized Polymer Crystals
- Andreas Röttele,Thomas Thurn-Albrecht, Jens-Uwe Sommer, Günter Reiter. Macromolecules 36, 1257-1260 (2003)
- Outlook and open questions: A personal view
- Günter Reiter and Jens-Uwe Sommer. In Lecture Notes in Physics: "Polymer Crystallization: Observations, Concepts and Interpretations". Eds. Jens-Uwe Sommer and Günter Reiter, p.378-382, 2003
- A Generic Model for Growth and Morphogenesis of Polymer Crystals in Two Dimensions
- Jens-Uwe Sommer and Günter Reiter. In Lecture Notes in Physics: "Polymer Crystallization: Observations, Concepts and Interpretations". Eds. Jens-Uwe Sommer and Günter Reiter, p.153-176, 2003
- Crystallization of Polymers in Thin Films: Model experiments
- Günter Reiter, Gilles Castelein and Jens-Uwe Sommer. In Lecture Notes in Physics: "Polymer Crystallization: Observations, Concepts and Interpretations". Eds. Jens-Uwe Sommer and Günter Reiter, p.131-152, 2003
- Polymer Crystallization: Obervations, Concepts and Interpretations
- Editors: Jens-Uwe Sommer and Günter Reiter. Lecture Notes in Physics 606 (2003), Springer Berlin/Heidelberg, ISSN 1616-6361
- Dewetting of thin polymer films at temperatures close to the glass transition
- G. Reiter, M. Sferrazza, P. Damman. Eur. Phys. J. E 12, 133–138 (2003)
- Editorial on "Focus point": Unstable thin films
- A.M. Donald, J.F. Joanny,M. Moller,G. Reiter. Eur. Phys. J. E 12, 359-360 (2003)
- Crystal growth rates of diblock copolymers in thin films: Influence of film thickness
- G.Reiter, L.Vidal. Eur. Phys. J. E 12, 497-505 (2003)
- Self-destruction and dewetting of thin polymer films: the role of interfacial tensions
- G. Reiter, R. Khanna, A. Sharma. J. Phys. Condensed Matter 15 (2003) S331-S336
- Crystallization of s-polypropylene from the glassy state: Indications for a multistage process
- M. Grasruck, G. Strobl. Macromolecules 36, 86-91 (2003)
- A molar mass induced transition in the yielding properties of linear polyethylene
- Qiang Fu, Yongfeng Men, Gert Strobl. Polymer 44, 1941-1947 (2003)