Files and links (1)
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open Access via Drexel Libraries Read and Publish Program 2026 Open CC BY V4.0
Journal article
Beyond Morphology: Controlling Nonplanarity, Growth, and Function in Polymer Single Crystals
Polymer, Forthcoming
03 Oct 2026
Featured in Collection : Drexel's Newest Publications
Abstract
Polymer single crystals (PSCs) have played a central role in polymer science since Keller's seminal work established the chain-folded lamella as a model for polymer crystals. Nearly seven decades later, as we celebrate Keller’s centennial birthday, PSC research is expanding beyond its traditional emphasis on morphology and chain folding. This Perspective presents the author’s view on three directions in this evolution, with an emphasis on moving from understanding polymer crystals to controlling their behavior. First, controlling nonplanarity in PSCs offers opportunities to examine how crystalline order, strain, defects, and even properties evolve when the global crystal shape becomes incommensurate with the translational symmetry of the underlying lattice. Second, advances from self-seeding to programmed growth demonstrate how crystallization can convert temporal and molecular information into spatial organization within a crystal, and PSCs offer an unparalleled opportunity for structural control in nanomaterials. Finally, functionality will ultimately determine the broader impact of PSCs. Function can arise from the intrinsic low dimensionality and anisotropy of PSCs or be introduced through functional groups and hybridization. Together, these directions extend Keller's legacy from using PSCs as model systems for understanding crystallization toward controlling their crystallographic order, growth, and function. Such control can not only generate unprecedented structures and applications but also provide new insights into the behavior of semicrystalline polymers.
Metrics
1 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Beyond Morphology: Controlling Nonplanarity, Growth, and Function in Polymer Single Crystals
- Creators
- Christopher Li (Corresponding Author) - Drexel University, Materials Science and Engineering
- Publication Details
- Polymer, Forthcoming
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Other Identifier
- 991022237044604721