Morphological regimes of poly(ε-caprolactone)/octaisobutyl polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane composite films in relation to film composition and thickness

Visualizing the Inner Architecture of Poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)‐Based Biomaterials and Its Impact on Performance Optimization

“…In addition, electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy have also been used to study the nucleation and growth of polymer crystals. [6,7,[17][18][19][20][21][22] In this study, by using the CALB enzyme to top-down dissect polymer spherulites, we can capture even the inner hierarchical architecture of crystals. Degradation of PCL and PCL-based films has been studied in the presence of Pseudomonas lipase, [23][24][25] porcine pancreatic lipase, [23] Candida cylindracea lipase, [23] Rhizopus delemer lipase, [26] and Rhizopus arrhizus lipase.…”

“…The detailed procedure for preparing the glass and silicon substrates has been reported in our previous study. [6] Immediately following the addition of the solution, the slides were accelerated to a final velocity of 2 500 rotations per minute and spun at a constant rate for 1 min. The slides were then removed from the spin coater and dried in a vacuum oven at room temperature for 24 h. Following the drying period, the films were ready for further characterization.…”

“…The above basic concepts have been widely accepted for understanding the phase behavior and the crystal pattern formation of PCL-based systems confined in thin film geometries. [6][7][8] In contrast, for other PCL-based nano/ microstructures such as electrospun fibers, relatively less attention has been given to the phase behavior evolved during electrospinning. Previous findings on PCL-based thin films could have, at least to a certain degree, been taken for granted in understanding electrospun fibers.…”

Effects of POSS nanoparticles on glass transition temperatures of ultrathin poly(t‐butyl acrylate) films and bulk blends

“…In addition to these competitive effects, confined geometry at the surface of an ultra thin polymer film and unique structures (i.e., double layer in LB films) introduced into film during deposition further complicate the prediction of surface T g of POSS/polymer blends. Thin films of polymer blends containing POSS dispersions are expected to have different surface and macromolecular morphologies that may lead to unique thermal characteristics compared to typical nanofiller/aggregate and polymer systems. In addition, the effect of the substrate surface becomes much more pronounced when the film thickness is decreased to below 100 nm, where the confinement effect significantly alters the thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of thin film blends.…”

Surface Morphology, Crystallinity, and Hydrophilicity of Poly(ε‐caprolactone) Films Prepared Via Casting of Ethyl Lactate and Ethyl Acetate Solutions

“…The effect of crystal size on some surface features of PCL films prepared from the melt has been investigated by Simon et al, who have found an inverse relationship between crystallite size and roughness . Concerning solvent‐cast systems, the concentration of PCL in the starting solution has proven to affect both the extent of crystallinity and the crystal size of the resulting films, as highlighted by Más Estellés et al and by Greenman et al respectively . Moreover, Tang et al have obtained PCL films with different morphologies and wettabilities from different solvents, pointing out that the solubility of the polymer in a specific solvent system strongly influences the surface properties of the final material .…”