An Atomic Force Microscopy Observation of Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride) Banded Spherulites

Toda Akihiko

Arita Takeshi

Hikosaka Masamichi

Hobbs Jamie K.

Miles Mervyn J.

Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part B

We have examined the free surface of a banded spherulite of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) by an atomic force microscopy. The directions of the slope of multilayer terraces of lamellar crystals are retained in each half of a banded spherulite; this evidence confirms the macroscopic selection of one handedness in the formation of spiral terraces in each growth direction of the sheaf at the center of a banded spherulite of PVDF. In a previous paper it was confirmed that the three-dimensional morphology of all single crystals of PVDF grown from the melt is chair-type, and hence it is most probable that the stress in the chair crystal is responsible for the formation of spiral dislocations and terraces keeping the same handedness in each growth direction. The chair-type morphology is created because of the chain tilting to the fold surface, which can introduce symmetry breaking and consequently the selection of handedness in non-chiral polymers such as PVDF.

AFM

Spherulite

Banding

PVDF

Chair type

Spiral terrace

Physics [ 420 ]

eng

Taylor & Francis

Copyright (c) 2003 Taylor & Francis. This is an electronic version of an article published in "Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part B, Volume 42, Issue 3 & 4 January 2003

pages 753 - 760" Natural Product Research is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1081/MB-120021604

[ISSN] 0022-2348

[DOI] 10.1081/MB-120021604

[NCID] AA00701339

[DOI] http://dx.doi.org/10.1081/MB-120021604