Fifty Years of Nano‐Science (Art)

Morphological studies of polymers by transmission electron microscopy is suggested as being the “art of producing interpretable artifacts” and, as such, results in both art and science. Summarized and represented here are some 50 years of morphology research and the resulting art, as presented at the International Polymer Symposium on Polymer Morphology/Structure, held April 8–9, 2005 at Champaign‐Urbana, Illinois. Because all structure in polymers, on the next hierarchical size scale larger than the repeat distance and unit cell, is on the order of 100 Å, hence the label “nano” is used. Included are figures representing the nucleation, growth from solution and melt, and deformation of macromolecular materials.

Keywords:

• polymer morphology
• polymer deformation
• polymer nano-science
• polymer nucleation

Acknowledgments

Our research over the years has been supported by DuPont, AFOSR, AROD, NIH, and the NSF MRL and Polymer Program, as well as several industrial concerns; appreciation is expressed to all.

Notes

*Trademark of E. I. duPont deNemours for PET film.