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4395844 
Journal Article 
Poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(tetrahydrofuran)-poly(ethylene glycol) triblock copolymer: Synthesis, crystallization behavior and novel morphology 
Fan, WW; Fan, XD; Tian, W; Liao, XQ; Zhang, WB; Mu, CG; Kong, J 
2013 
Yes 
Express Polymer Letters
ISSN: 1788-618X 
7 
5 
416-430 
WOS:000315928600003 
Poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(tetrahydrofuran)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-PTHF-PEG) triblock copolymer was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of ethylene oxide using sodium alcoholate of PTHF as the macroinitiator. Its crystallization behavior and formation mechanisms of different crystal structures were studied. The study showed that the molecular weight of PEG-PTHF-PEG exhibited a significant effect on its crystallization: that is, with the increase of the copolymer's molecular weight, the crystallizability of PTHF blocks decreased gradually, which led to the transition of copolymer from crystalline-crystalline to crystalline-amorphous. By adjusting the total molecular weight of triblock copolymer, the crystallization process can be effectively controlled, and as a result, different spherulite structures were obtained. Particularly, when PTHF blocks became amorphous, novel double concentric spherulites were observed. The morphological structures were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and its crystalline process was investigated. 
polymer synthesis; molecular engineering; crystallization; double concentric spherulites