Abstract
Freeze-dried poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) samples were prepared from a 1×10−2wt.% solution in benzene. After isothermal crystallization at 318.2±0.1K, a unique spherulite-like morphology with special inner structure was observed by transmission electron microscope. The crystal structure was identified to be the triclinic form. The molecular chains in it adopt the planar zigzag conformation, which was only found in the sample under tension. However, it was revealed in this paper that the triclinic crystals formed in the freeze-drying process can exist at room temperature for a long period. After being heated at a temperature far above the equilibrium melting point of PEO and cooled down to 318.2±0.1K, they transformed to the common monoclinic form. The resulting crystals show a great variety of regular polygonal shapes with multiple twin patterns.
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