The technique has subsequently been used to produce nanostructures from many different polymeric materials and is the subject of numerous recent review articles. The template-wetting method was first reported by Martin and coworkers 5- 7 while synthesizing nanotubes of conducting polymers such as polypyrrole in porous anodized aluminium oxide (AAO) and track-etched polymer membranes. 1- 4 The process involves infiltrating a nanoporous template with the desired material and subsequently removing the template to reveal the nanostructures that have formed within the pores. Template-wetting is a versatile and facile technique that has been widely used in many separate fields to create nanostructures of different types of materials, including polymers. It is possible to control this molecular alignment at the nanoscale, through finely tuned nano-fabrication processes. The properties of polymers depend strongly on the degree of molecular alignment present in them. This characterization indicates that the polymer chains in these PLLA nanotubes are aligned parallel to the cylindrical axis of the nanotube, which may be beneficial in certain applications. The nanotubes are thoroughly characterized with wide-angle X-ray diffraction, isothermal differential scanning calorimetry, and polarized light optical microscopy. In this work, PLLA nanotubes are grown via a modification of the template-wetting process, referred to here as melt-press template-wetting. Template-wetting of PLLA has not been fully explored, especially in terms of morphological and/or structural characterization. In this context, template-wetting is a straightforward method of producing polymer nanostructures, which can lead to some degree of molecular order in the polymer. In the case of poly- l-lactic acid (PLLA), which is a widely used polymer in biomedicine, sensors, and actuators, preferential orientation of chains can lead to significantly enhanced electromechanical properties.

Molecular ordering in polymers can have a drastic effect on their properties and can be used to induce or enhance functionality.

Change structure in crystalmaker