title: Three-Dimensional Conformation of Folded Polymers in Single Crystals.
abstract: The chain-folding mechanism and structure of semicrystalline polymers have long been controversial. Solid-state NMR was applied to determine the chain trajectory of (13)C CH3-labeled isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPB1) in form III chiral single crystals blended with nonlabeled iPB1 crystallized in dilute solutions under low supercooling. An advanced (13)C-(13)C double-quantum NMR technique probing the spatial proximity pattern of labeled (13)C nuclei revealed that the chains adopt a three-dimensional (3D) conformation in single crystals. The determined results indicate a two-step crystallization process of (i) cluster formation via self-folding in the precrystallization stage and (ii) deposition of the nanoclusters as a building block at the growth front in single crystals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA.
authors.forename: You-lee
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA.
authors.forename: Shichen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA.
authors.forename: Yutian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA.
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyoshi