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<p>Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), a conventional and widely accepted technique, has been frequently used to evaluate the periodic structure of semicrystalline polymeric materials. However, SAXA data interpretation relies heavily on intricate theoretical models and assumptions regarding the electron density profiles. In this study, we developed a simple image analysis method for calculating the sizes of both crystalline and amorphous regions, together with the long period, based on the images obtained <i>via</i> atomic force microscopy (AFM). This was confirmed by using melt-drawn poly(L-lactic acid) films composed of chain-folded lamellar crystals, and the long period obtained through image analysis (34.4 nm) was very close to that obtained by SAXS (34.9 nm), indicating the reliability of the method. The newly developed method can be used to analyze the structure of films with fibrillar crystals, and even with shish-kebab structures, through the accurate and effective separation of shish and kebab structures individually. Undoubtedly, this work is of great significance for establishing precise structure-property correlations and providing fundamental insights into polymer crystallization mechanisms.</p>

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A Simple Method for Evaluating Periodic Structures Based on Atomic Force Microscopy Images

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月9日

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  • Yun-Peng Li,
  • Wen-Ya Yuan,
  • Bing-Hui Xu,
  • Wei-Yu Li,
  • Rui Xin,
  • Shou-Ke Yan

摘要

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), a conventional and widely accepted technique, has been frequently used to evaluate the periodic structure of semicrystalline polymeric materials. However, SAXA data interpretation relies heavily on intricate theoretical models and assumptions regarding the electron density profiles. In this study, we developed a simple image analysis method for calculating the sizes of both crystalline and amorphous regions, together with the long period, based on the images obtained via atomic force microscopy (AFM). This was confirmed by using melt-drawn poly(L-lactic acid) films composed of chain-folded lamellar crystals, and the long period obtained through image analysis (34.4 nm) was very close to that obtained by SAXS (34.9 nm), indicating the reliability of the method. The newly developed method can be used to analyze the structure of films with fibrillar crystals, and even with shish-kebab structures, through the accurate and effective separation of shish and kebab structures individually. Undoubtedly, this work is of great significance for establishing precise structure-property correlations and providing fundamental insights into polymer crystallization mechanisms.