Crystallization Behavior of Polymer Nanocomposite Thin Film

In the case of nanoparticles containing polymer nanocomposite or in the form of thin film, they exhibit a unique crystallization behavior different from the bulk state. In this study, the crystallization behaviors of polymer matrix in the form of nanocomposite thin film, homogeneous thin film, and bulk polymer were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and various microscopy techniques. The crystallinity and the crystallization temperature decreased in the presence of hydrophilic nanoparticles with thinner film thickness. In addition, the formation of the spherurite structure was suppressed and the transition from the edge-on to the flat-on lamellar structure was strongly inhibited while hydrophobic nanoparticles had little effect on the crystallization behavior of the nanocomposite thin film. We believe that the results help to understand how the interactions between particles and matrix and confined geometry affect the crystallization of polymers and how they are utilized to design microstructures.