Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41615256›Full record

ArticleSmall (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)2026

Elucidating the Hierarchical Architecture of Polymer Spherulites via 4D Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Changsheng Chen, Min Chen, Xuyun Guo, Chen Yang, Jiahe Liu, Dangyuan Lei, Hanying Li, Ye Zhu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Changsheng ChenDepartment of Applied Physics, Research Center for Organic Electronics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Min ChenMOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center For X Polymers, ZJU-YST Joint Research Center For Fundamental Science, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Xuyun GuoDepartment of Applied Physics, Research Center for Organic Electronics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Chen YangDepartment of Applied Physics, Research Center for Organic Electronics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Jiahe LiuDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Dangyuan LeiDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Hanying LiMOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center For X Polymers, ZJU-YST Joint Research Center For Fundamental Science, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Ye ZhuDepartment of Applied Physics, Research Center for Organic Electronics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5217-493X

Funding

Hong Kong Polytechnic University grant 1-W36GHong Kong Polytechnic University grant CE2WResearch Grants Council of Hong Kong 15306925Research Grants Council of Hong Kong C1015-21EFResearch Grants Council of Hong Kong C5029-18E
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hierarchical spherulite structures are ubiquitous in semicrystalline polymers and impact their properties. Elucidating these delicate and complex structures, which span from molecular-level chain folding to mesoscale spherulites, however, presents a formidable challenge. Here, we showcase low-dose four-dimensional (4D) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) as a powerful technique for investigating the multiscale hierarchical structures of polymer spherulites. Applying it to poly(ε-caprolactone) and polyethylene (PE) spherulite films, we reveal the preferential orientation and growth direction of lamellar crystals, as well as the twisted lamella structure in PE banded spherulites. Notably, our observations reveal a non-radial twisting axis forming a spiral texture in PE films. With the enhanced spatial resolution of cryogenic 4D-STEM, we directly visualize individual lamellar crystals at the nanoscale, enabling the identification of chain tilt within a single lamella and the elucidation of lamella configurations at spherulite boundaries. These insights advance our understanding of polymer spherulite crystallization mechanisms and underscore low-dose 4D-STEM as a powerful tool for exploring the intriguing structures of soft materials.

Indexed as

4D‐STEMhierarchical structuresPCLPEpolymer spherulites

Identifiers

PMID41615256
PMCPMC13014215

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.