Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

3.7K
Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
3.7K
Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

Atomic Force Microscopy

4.4K
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
4.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Gel-Grown Kebab-like KDP Crystal Formation Mechanisms.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

The Impact of Molecular Weight Distribution on the Crystalline Texture of Polymers-Illustrated by Lamellar Crystal, Shish-Kebab and Nested Spherulites.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Chiral Perovskite Single Crystals: Toward Promising Design and Application.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Vertically Phase-Separated PEDOT:PSS Film via Solid-Liquid Interface Doping for Flexible Organic Electrochemical Transistors.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2025
Same author

Enabling Polymer Single Crystals to Be High-Performance Dielectric.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2023
Same author

Above 100% Efficiency Photocharge Generation in Monolayer Semiconductors by Singlet Fission Sensitization.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
10:37

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 16, 2020

10.2K

Recent Progress on the Characterization of Polymer Crystallization by Atomic Force Microscopy.

Shen Chen1, Min Chen1, Hanying Li1

  • 1MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, ZJU-YST Joint Research Center for Fundamental Science, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.

Polymers
|October 16, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) offers high-resolution imaging to study polymer crystallization. This review highlights AFM

Keywords:
atomic force microscopycrystalline polymer kineticscrystalline polymer propertiescrystalline polymer structure

More Related Videos

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
13:57

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

14.3K
Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
09:48

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy

Published on: February 27, 2015

10.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
10:37

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 16, 2020

10.2K
Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
13:57

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

14.3K
Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
09:48

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy

Published on: February 27, 2015

10.8K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science and Materials Science
  • Physics of Polymers

Background:

  • Polymer crystallization behavior dictates aggregated structures and material properties.
  • Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) provides high spatial resolution and low-destruction imaging for polymer crystallography.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in polymer crystallization characterization using AFM.
  • To inspire scientists in polymer materials and physics on leveraging AFM for fundamental research.
  • To explore AFM's applications in visualizing hierarchical polymer crystal structures and kinetics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature on AFM applications in polymer crystallization.
  • Focus on AFM's capabilities in visualizing single crystals, spherulites, dendritic crystals, and shish kebab structures.
  • Discussion of in situ monitoring of crystal growth and analysis of structure-property relationships.

Main Results:

  • AFM effectively visualizes diverse polymer crystal morphologies.
  • In situ AFM monitoring reveals crystallization kinetics and growth dynamics.
  • AFM analysis elucidates structure-property relationships under varying temperature and stress conditions.
  • Emerging AFM techniques like SMFS and AFM-IR address advanced research questions.

Conclusions:

  • AFM is a powerful tool for understanding polymer crystallization at the nanoscale.
  • Continued advancements in AFM technology promise further breakthroughs in polymer science.
  • AFM facilitates deeper insights into polymer structure, kinetics, and properties.