Polycaprolactone morphology

The morphology of spin-cast film, thickness of 180 nm, from polycaprolactone shows many spherulitic structures with fibrillar nanostructures formed of lamellae lying edge on (about 10 nm thick) and areas with lamellar sheets lying flat on. Different crystalline structures are found when the sample is melted and crystallized as a function of temperature. These two studies reinforce the complex inner relationship between physical treatment and nanostructure. 

P. Jarrett, Ph.D. Dissertation in Polymer Science(l983) The Morphology and Mechanism of the Biodegradation of Polycaprolactone, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. 

In this chapter we investigate the morphology of a series of polyurethanes based on polycaprolactone polyol (PCP), diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), and butanediol (BDO). Samples of as-batch-reacted and solution-cast polymers were examined by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron and x-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. Our interest is to provide a mapping of the size and shape of the domains (and any superstructure such as spherulites) and the degree of order as a function of the fraction of each phase present. 

Thomas V et al (2006) Mechano-morphological studies of aligned nanofibrous scaffolds of polycaprolactone fabricated by electrospinning. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 17(9) 969—984... 

Reactive blending of thermoplastic starch/polymer blends has been examined recently and aims to increase properties and performance via control of blend morphologies. Mani [58, 59] examined different techniques for compatibilising starch-polyester blends. They examined development of maleic anhydride grafted polyester/starch blends and starch-g-polycaprolactone... 

Fejos, M., Molnar, K., and Karger-Kocsis, J. (2013) Epoxy/polycaprolactone systems with triple-shape memory effect electrospun nanoweb with and without graphene versus co-continuous morphology. Materials, 6 (10), 4489-4504. 

Peng, H., Han, Y., Liu, T., Tjiu, W.C., He, C. Morphology and thermal degradation behavior of highly exfoliated CoAl-layered double hydroxide/polycaprolactone nanocomposites prepared by simple solution intercalation. Thermochim. Acta 502, 1-7 (2010)... 

Jahani H, et al. Controlled surface morphology and hydrophilidty of polycaprolactone toward selective differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to neural like cells. J Biomed Mater Res A 2015 103(5) 1875-81. 

Figure 9 Top cartoon representations of a spherical micelle, a wormlike micelle, and a vesicle. The red blocks represent the solvophilic blocks, and the blue blocks represent the solvophobic blocks. Bottom example TEM images showing diffa-ent micelle morphologies adopted by block copolymers in solution, (a) Spherical micelles formed from polyfethylene oxide)-f>-polycaprolactone (PEO-f>-PCL) copolymers.(b) Wormlike micelles, vesicles, and octupi formed by mixing PEO-fc-polybutadiene (PEO-fc-PB) block copolymers. (Reproduced from Ref. 32. American Chemical Society, 2004.) (c) Vesicles formed from PEO-f>-PCL copolymers. (Reproduced from Ref. 33. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2011.) (d) Multicompartment micelles formed from a triblock copolyma-. (Reproduced from Ref. 34. American Chemical Society, 2010.) (e) Stomatocytes formed using PEO-f>-polystyrene (PEO-f>-PS) copolyma-s. (Reproduced from Ref. 35. American Chemical Society, 2010.) (f) Toroidal micelles coexisting with cylindrical micelles and sphaical micelles formed from poly(acrylic acid)-f>-poly(methacrylic acid)-fc-PS (PAA-f>-PMA-f>-PS) triblock copolymers. (Reproduced from Ref. 36. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2009.)...

SEM photomicrograph showing the aspects of phase morphology when the adhesion between the matrix and particles is good melt-blended 30 wt% polycaprolactone/70 wt% polyethylene oxide. Image magnification SOOOx. The minor phase particles are attached firmly to the host matrix. They are broken instead of being dislocated and extracted from the matrix. (C. Harrats, 2006, unpublished data.)... 

The mechanisms of biodegradation of polylactide, polycaprolactone and caprolactone copolymers with dilactide copolymer, valerolactone copolymer, and decalactone copolymer in the rabbit were shown to be qualitatively similar. The rate of the first stage of the degradation process, non enzymatic random hydrolytic chain scission, was found to vary by an order of magnitude and was dependent on morphological as well as chemical effects. 17 refs. 

Chen, D., et al. Morphology and biodegradation of microspheres of polyester-polyether block copolymer based on polycaprolactone/polylactide/ polyfethylene oxide). Polymer International, 49(3) p. 269. 2000. 

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