Surface-Induced Polymer Crystallization and the Resultant Structures and Morphologies

The dependence of properties on the structure and morphology of semicrystalline polymers offers an effective way to tailor the properties of these materials through crystal engineering. For purposeful control of the structure and morphology, and therefore the physical and mechanical properties, a full understanding of the crystallization habits of polymers under different environments and conditions is essential. This has stimulated a mass of research work on polymer crystallization. Considering that these materials are frequently in contact with some kinds of solid surfaces in a variety of applications, surface-induced crystallization of polymers has attracted considerable attention during the past decades. This Perspective provides the context as to how the solid surface influences the crystallization behavior of polymers and what kinds of unique crystal structure and morphology of the polymers can be fabricated. We hope that this will afford useful information for polymer processing in different application fields and promote the technical development of new methods of preparation of polymeric materials for advanced applications.