Advanced Materials, Vol.9, No.11, 895-896, 1997
Adjacent reentry of folded polydimethylsilane polymer chains
How does the polymer chain fold when polymer single crystals are grown? Evidence from AFM images of the surface structure of polydimethylsilane crystals is presented that suggests the adjacent reentry model, in which the chains are regularly folded, making hairpin turns at the surface (see Figure), describes the process better than the random (switchboard) model, in which an amorphous overlayer is produced.