Fabrication of poly(p-oxybenzoyl) nanowhisker

Fabrication of poly(p-oxybenzoyl) (FOB) nanowhiskers was examined by using reaction-induced crystallization of oligomers during the polymerization of p-acetoxybenzoic acid in liquid paraffin. Width of the POB whiskers was susceptible to polymerization temperature and it was efficiently controlled by a change in temperature during the polymerization. Increase in polymerization temperature just after nucleation (Han) reduced the degree of super saturation of oligomers (σ) resulting in the depression of the width increase by the crystallization of oligomers on side surface of the whiskers. Temperature drop just before nucleation (Cbn) enhanced the value of σ resulting in the generation of much more nuclei having the smaller width. On the basis of these results, the combination of these two methods Han and Cbn afforded the whiskers having the smallest width, and the FOB nanowhiskers were prepared of which the width and the length were 190 nm and 18.6 μm, respectively.