Confined crystallization of polyethylene oxide in nanolayer assemblies

Haopeng Wang; Jong K. Keum; Anne Hiltner; Eric Baer; Benny Freeman; Artur Rozanski; Andrzej Galeski

doi:10.1126/science.1164601

Confined crystallization of polyethylene oxide in nanolayer assemblies

Haopeng Wang, Jong K. Keum, Anne Hiltner, Eric Baer, Benny Freeman, Artur Rozanski, Andrzej Galeski

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

349 Scopus citations

Abstract

The design and fabrication of ultrathin polymer layers are of increasing importance because of the rapid development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Confined, two-dimensional crystallization of polymers presents challenges and opportunities due to the long-chain, covalently bonded nature of the macromolecule. Using an innovative layer-multiplying coextrusion process to obtain assemblies with thousands of polymer nanolayers, we discovered a morphology that emerges as confined polyethylene oxide (PEO) layers are made progressively thinner. When the thickness is confined to 20 nanometers, the PEO crystallizes as single, high-aspect-ratio lamellae that resemble single crystals. Unexpectedly, the crystallization habit imparts two orders of magnitude reduction in the gas permeability.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	757-760
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	323
Issue number	5915
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1164601
State	Published - Feb 6 2009
Externally published	Yes

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AU - Rozanski, Artur

AU - Galeski, Andrzej

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AB - The design and fabrication of ultrathin polymer layers are of increasing importance because of the rapid development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Confined, two-dimensional crystallization of polymers presents challenges and opportunities due to the long-chain, covalently bonded nature of the macromolecule. Using an innovative layer-multiplying coextrusion process to obtain assemblies with thousands of polymer nanolayers, we discovered a morphology that emerges as confined polyethylene oxide (PEO) layers are made progressively thinner. When the thickness is confined to 20 nanometers, the PEO crystallizes as single, high-aspect-ratio lamellae that resemble single crystals. Unexpectedly, the crystallization habit imparts two orders of magnitude reduction in the gas permeability.

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Confined crystallization of polyethylene oxide in nanolayer assemblies

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