Cover Image, Volume 55, Issue 12. Issue 12 (15th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Is Part Of: Journal of polymer science. Volume 55:Issue 12(2017)
• Page Start: i
• Page End: ii
• Publication Date: 2017-06-15
• Subjects: 547
• DOI: 10.1002/polb.24368
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-6266

Abstract

Abstract : On page 907 (DOI:10.1002/polb.24324 ), Simmons and colleagues examine how semicrystalline polymers' properties are strongly influenced by the presence of a "rigid amorphous fraction" (RAF) with enhanced glass transition temperature and suppressed mobility. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study this phenomenon in semicrystalline nanolayered polymers in which alternating layers of amorphous and crystalline polymer form a stacked nanostructure. As shown by the color gradient in the cover image, the glass transition temperature exhibits a smooth increase upon approach to the crystalline polymer domain. Results suggest that the RAF is driven by the same underlying physics, leading to broad dynamic interphases near a variety of other polymer interfaces. (DOI:10.1002/polb.24324 )