Abstract
The effect of the solvent evaporation rate and solvent type on the crystal formation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) prepared by spin-coating was evaluated over time. In the much-solvent-remaining state, the crystalline phase of PVDF changed in the order of α, γ and β with the increasing dipole moment of the solvent. In the almost-all-solvent-evaporated state, the crystalline structure of PVDF/hexamethylphosphoramide with a higher dipole moment was dominantly dependent on the evaporation rate and varied in the order of β, γ and α with the increasing solvent evaporation rate. However, PVDF/triethyl phosphate, having a lower dipole moment, always formed the α phase, regardless of the evaporation rate. The PVDF α phase in the concentrated solution state is difficult to transform into the β and γ phases because the potential energy of each PVDF crystalline phase increases in the order of α, γ and β. The PVDF crystalline phase in the spin-coating method is strongly affected by both the polymer–solvent electrostatic interactions and the evaporation conditions. From the results of the crystal transition behavior, it was experimentally supported that the potential energy of the PVDF crystalline structure increases in the order of α, γ and β.
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Nishiyama, T., Sumihara, T., Sato, E. et al. Effect of solvents on the crystal formation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) film prepared by a spin-coating process. Polym J 49, 319–325 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/pj.2016.116
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pj.2016.116
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