Publications
Select the year of publication...
| 2016-2018 | 2019-2021 | 2022-2024 | 2025 |
| 2004-2006 | 2007-2009 | 2010-2012 | 2013-2015 |
| before 1990 | 1991-1995 | 1996-2000 | 2001-2003 |
...or go to the
Recent Publications
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 published online
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...)
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...)
List of Publications
- Critical strains in poly(epsilon-caprolactone) and blends with poly(vinyl methyl ether) and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)
- Yongfeng Men, Gert Strobl. Macromolcules 36, 1889-1898 (2003)
- On the mechanisms of recrystallization after melting in semicrystalline polymers: The effect of the initial melt state
- M. Al-Hussein, G. Strobl. Journal of Macromolecular Science - Physics B42, 677-685 (2003)
- Fluorescence of a dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal film in the region of the stop band: theory and experiment
- J. Schmidtke and W. Stille. Eur. Phys. J. B 31, 179 (2003)
- Investigating polymer crystallization by time-dependent light scattering: a direct approach in the data analysis applied for s-polypropylene
- Anke Hoffmann, Gert Strobl. Polymer 44, 5803-5809 (2003)
- Defect Mode Emission of a Dye Doped Cholesteric Polymer Network
- J. Schmidtke, W. Stille, H. Finkelmann. Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 083902 (2003)
- Condensed Matter Physics: Crystals, Liquids, Liquid Crystals, and Polymers
- Gert Strobl. Springer 2003, ISBN 978-3540003533
- Role of the entangled amorphous network in tensile deformation of semicrystalline polymers
- Y. F. Men, J. Rieger, G. Strobl. Physical Review Letters 91, 095502 (2003)
- Photonic defect modes in cholesteric liquid crystal films
- J. Schmidtke and W. Stille. Eur. Phys. J. E 12, 553 (2003)
- Characteristic variations in the effect of diluents on polymer crystallization and melting observed for a sample of poly (ethylene-co-octene)
- Barbara Heck, Gert Strobl, Michael Grasruck. Eur. Phys. J. E 11, 117-130 (2003)
- Editorial: Special issue on Properties of Thin Polymer Films
- Günter Reiter (Editor) and James Forrest (Guest Editor). Eur. Phys. J. E 8, 101 (2002)
- Morphological Phase Transitions in Spontaneous Dewetting of Thin Films on Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Surfaces
- A. Sharma, G. Reiter. Phase Transitions 75, 377-399 (2002)
- Pattern formation and ordering in thin films of crystallisable block copolymers
- Günter Reiter, Gilles Castelein, Jens-Uwe Sommer. Macromol. Symp. 183, 173–178 (2002)
- Some relevant parameters affecting the glass transition of supported ultra-thin polymer films
- Y. Grohens, L. Hamon, G. Reiter, A. Soldera, Y. Holl. Eur. Phys. J. E 8, 217-224 (2002)
- Are changes in morphology clear indicators for the glass transition in thin polymer films? Tentative ideas
- Günter Reiter. Eur. Phys. J. E 8, 251-255 (2002)
- The melting line, the crystallization line, and the equilibrium melting temperature of isotactic polystyrene
- M. Al-Hussein, G. Strobl. Macromolecules 35, 1672-1676 (2002)
- From crystalline block slips to dominance of network stretching - Mechanisms of tensile deformation in semi-crystalline polymers
- Yongfeng Men, Gert Strobl. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science 20, 161-170 (2002)
- Role and importance of radius of gyration of chains in the melt in the crystalization of poly(1-butene)
- Qiang Fu, Gert Strobl. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science 20, 143-154 (2002)
- Evidence for a mechanically active high temperature relaxation process in syndiotactic polypropylene
- Yongfeng Men, Gert Strobl. Polymer 43, 2761-2768 (2002)
- Strain-controlled tensile deformation behavior of isotactic poly(1-butene) and its ethylene copolymers
- M. Al-Hussein, G. Strobl. Macromolecules 35, 8515-8520 (2002)
- Change of modulus and yielding properties of syndiotactic polypropylene with the glass transition
- Y.F. Men, G. Strobl, P. Wette. E-Polymers, 040 (2002)