State Transitions and Crystalline Structures of Single Polyethylene Rings: MD Simulations

This study investigates the structural changes of cyclic polyethylene (PE) single chains during cooling through molecular dynamics simulations. The influence of topological constraint on a ring is examined by comparing it with the results of its linear counterpart. A pseudo phase diagram of state transition for PE rings based on length and temperature is constructed, revealing a consistent chain-folding transition during cooling. The shape anisotropy of short crystallized cyclic chains exhibits oscillations with chain length, leading to a more pronounced odd–even effect in single cyclic chains compared with the linear ones. A honeycomb model is proposed to elucidate the odd–even effect of chain folding in crystalline structures of single linear and cyclic chains, and we discuss its potential to predict surface tension. Analyses of the tight folding model and the re-entry modes demonstrate that a cyclic chain possesses a shorter average crystalline stem length and a more compact folded structure than its linear counterpart. The findings highlight the impact of topological change on crystallization and the odd–even effect of chain length, providing valuable insights for understanding polymer crystallization with different topologies.