Crystallization behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) studied by 2D IR correlation spectroscopy

Crystallization behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (P(HB-co-HHx)) (HHx=12 mol%) was studied by means of two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) correlation spectroscopy. Three types of crystallization; the gradual cooling from the melt, the isothermal crystallization of the supercooled melt, and the isothermal crystallization of the solution-cast film were investigated. The order of crystal growth steps taking place during the three different types of crystallization processes was analyzed in detail. It was revealed by the asynchronous 2D correlation spectra generated from the dynamic IR spectra in the CO stretching band region that the development of the highly ordered crystals occurs prior to that of the less ordered crystals for the gradual cooling crystallization. On the other hand, for the supercooled melt and solution-cast film crystallization, the formation of the less ordered crystals takes place before that of the highly ordered crystals. The transition from the amorphous phase to the less ordered crystals is a simultaneous process for all three types of crystallization.