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Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
Published on: June 20, 2019
Scrolled Poly(L-Lactic Acid) Single Crystals via Chain End-Induced Symmetry-Breaking
Shichen Yu1, Seyong Kim1, Kingsley O Ojima2
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA-19104, United States.
Abstract:
Single crystals that do not obey translational symmetry have been reported in various material systems. In polymers, twisted crystals are typically formed in banded spherulites, while a class of non-flat polymer single crystals (PSCs) has been observed. Herein, we report the formation of scrolled single crystals of biodegradable polymer poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA). While classical 2-dimensional single crystals formed in solution-crystallized PLLA are flat, we show that PLLA crystals bend into scrolls when the polymer molecular weight is low. The formation of these unique scrolled PLLA single crystals depends on polymer chain ends and the polymer molecular weight. This work, therefore, demonstrates a new mechanism to break translational symmetry in PSC growth.
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