Tuning Nanoparticle Dispersion to Control Confined Polymer Crystallization for Induced Ordering

Extremely slow isothermal processing presents the ability to control nanoparticle dispersion in semicrystalline polymers, hierarchically ordering them in the amorphous regions of the crystal structure and providing mechanical reinforcement to the composite. The necessity for “extremely slow processing” is, of course, not ideal despite its favorable outcome. Recent work began to understand the tradeoff of crystallization rate and the subsequent particle alignment, both of which depend strongly on nanoparticle grafting and concentration. Building from these insights, we have worked to tune nanoparticle parameters (size and grafting) to manipulate their influence on nucleation and crystal growth rate by effectively controlling polymer confinement and polymer-particle interactions. Designing relative differences in nanoparticle dispersion and mobility allows for increased control over the crystallization rate of the polymer matrix and the subsequent nanoparticle structure of the composite.