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

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

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3625-6

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

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-03-09

- A Simple Method for Evaluating Periodic Structures Based on Atomic Force Microscopy Images
  Enhanced Publication
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Pages: 1-9(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-plastics, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
  b.State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Author bio：
  
  ypli@qust.edu.cn
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3625-6
  CLC：
- Received：21 January 2026，
  
  Revised：2026-02-10，
  
  Accepted：12 February 2026，
  
  Online First：09 April 2026，
  
  Published：2026-03
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Li, Y. P.; Yuan, W. Y.; Xu, B. H.; Li, W. Y.; Xin, R.; Yan, S. K. A simple method for evaluating periodic structures based on atomic force microscopy images. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3625-6

Yun-Peng Li, Wen-Ya Yuan, Bing-Hui Xu, et al. A Simple Method for Evaluating Periodic Structures Based on Atomic Force Microscopy Images[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-9.
Li, Y. P.; Yuan, W. Y.; Xu, B. H.; Li, W. Y.; Xin, R.; Yan, S. K. A simple method for evaluating periodic structures based on atomic force microscopy images. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3625-6 DOI：

Yun-Peng Li, Wen-Ya Yuan, Bing-Hui Xu, et al. A Simple Method for Evaluating Periodic Structures Based on Atomic Force Microscopy Images[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-9. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3625-6.

摘要

Abstract

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.

关键词

Keywords

references

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