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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
- Dynamics of Polymer Interdiffusion at Short Times
- U. Steiner, G. Reiter. Proceedings of the Les Houches Conference 1991: Dynamical Phenomena at Interfaces, Surfaces and Membranes, D. Beysens, N. Boccara, G. Forgacs, eds., Nova Science Publishers, New York, p. 511-512 (1993)
- Unstable Thin Polymer Films: Rupture and Dewetting Processes
- G. Reiter. Langmuir 9, 1344 (1993)
- Mobility of Polymers in Films Thinner Than Their Unperturbed Size
- G. Reiter. Europhysics Letters 23, 579 (1993)
- Investigation of the Interdiffusion between Poly(methylmethacrylate) Films by Marker Movement
- Y. Liu, G. Reiter, K. Kunz, M. Stamm. Macromolecules 26, 2134 (1993)
- Short Time Dynamics of Polymer Diffusion
- G. Reiter, U. Steiner. Progr. Colloid and Polymer Science 91, 93 (1993)
- Transition Regions and Surface Melting in Partially Crystalline Polyethylene: A Raman Spectroscopic Study
- R. Mutter, W. Stille, and G. Strobl. J. Polym. Sci. Part B: Polym. Phys. 31, 99 (1993)
- Smectic Surface-Structures in the Isotropic-Phase of Liquid-Crystalline Polymers Studied by X-Ray Reflectivity
- H. Elben, G. Strobl. Macromolecules 26, 1013-1018 (1993)
- Transient Inhomogenities in Polymeric Liquids and Solutions - Characterization by Static and Dynamic Light-Scattering
- T. Koch, G.R. Strobl, B. Stühn. Polymer 34, 1988-1990 (1993)
- Kinetics of Rotational Motion in Liquid-Crystalline Polymers
- W. Stille, G. R. Strobl. Polym. Sci. (Russia) 35, 1484 (1993)
- Investigation of Optical Anisotropy at Polymer Surfaces and in Thin Polymer-Films by Variable-Angle Ellipsometry
- H. Kasten, G. Strobl. Fresenius Journal of Analytical Chemistry 346, 300-302 (1993)
- Molecular Weight Dependence of the Rotational Diffusion Constant and the Rotational Viscosity of Nematic Side-Group Polymers
- S. Götz, W. Stille, G. Strobl. Ber. Bunsenges. Phys. Chem. 97, 1315 (1993)
- Structure of Thin Block-Copolymers Films Studied by X-Ray Reflectivity
- R. Mutter, G. Strobl, B. Stühn. Fresenius Journal of Analytical Chemistry 346, 297-299 (1993)
- Dependence of the rotational viscosity of nematic mixtures on the rotational diffusion constants of their components
- G. Christoph, W. Stille and G. Strobl. J. Chem. Phys. 99, 3075 (1993)
- Molecular-Dynamics in Perfluoro-n-Eicosane. 4. Oscillatory and Diffusive Rotational Motion
- M. Kimmg, R. Steiner, G. Strobl, B. Stühn. Journal of Chemical Physics 99, 8105-8114 (1993)
- Ellipsometric characterisation of streptavidin binding to biotin-functionalized monolayers at the air-water interface
- R. Reiter, H. Motschmann, W. Knoll. Langmuir 9, 2430-2435 (1993)
- Pretransitional nematic surface order in the isotropic phase of phenylcyclohexanes
- S. Immerschitt, T. Koch, W. Stille and G. Strobl. J. Chem. Phys. 96, 6249 (1992)
- Formation of Silver Islands on Langmuir-Blodgett Films as Investigated by X-ray Reflectometry
- G. Reiter, C.Bubeck, M. Stamm. Langmuir 8, 1881 (1992)
- Dewetting of Thin Polymer Films
- G. Reiter. Physical Review Letters 68, 75 (1992)
- Application of 15N Nuclear Reaction Technique for Hydrogen Analysis in Polymer Thin Films
- D. Endisch, F. Rauch, A. Götzelmann, G. Reiter, M. Stamm. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B62, 513 (1992)
- Use of Ellipsometry in a Study of the Surface Order in the Isotropic Phase of a Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylate
- S. Immerschitt, W. Stille, and G. Strobl. Macromolecules 25, 3227 (1992)