SPHERULITE FORMATION IN NONCRYSTALLINE 2-DIMENSIONAL HYDROGEN-BOND ASSEMBLY

4-Urazoyl benzoic acid groups 1 are attached as terminal end group to an oligoisobutene. According to wide-angle X-ray scattering the materi al is amorphous. Differential scanning calorimetry, small-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and polarizing microscop y show that the polar head groups form ordered two-dimensional assembl ies which organize into spherulites. Temperature-dependent SAXS measur ements and the d.s.c. analysis give a close insight into the order-dis order (''melting'') process of the two-dimensional clusters which form macroscopic spherulites. The order-disorder transition of the cluster s is closely related to the dynamics and order of the polyisobutene ch ain.