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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
Published on: June 20, 2019
Self-assembly of precursors in single-crystal growth of biopolymers
Jumpei Kawada1, Périne Jaffrennou, Robert H Marchessault
1Pulp and Paper Research Institute and Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 3420 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7, Canada.
Abstract:
Self-assembly of precursors in dilute solution single-crystal growth of poly[(R)-3-hydroxyvalerate] (PHV) and the fungal polysaccharide mycodextran were studied by transmission electron microscopy, especially at the early stages of crystallization. Precursors for PHV, such as small primary nuclei and tiny square tiles, consolidate to a large square crystal composed of orthogonally arranged tiles. By contrast, the precursors of mycodextran were lath-shaped, which suggests that the crystal growth is mainly in the longitudinal direction. Needlelike precursors were observed either free or as protrusions at the lath ends. In general, single-crystal shape and morphology are dependent on the type of precursor and on the manner of crystallization.
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