TY - JOUR AU - Goossen, Sebastian AU - Bras, Ana AU - Krutyeva, M. AU - Sharp, M. AU - Falus, P. AU - Feoktystov, A. AU - Gasser, U. AU - Pyckhout-Hintzen, W. AU - Wischnewski, A. AU - Richter, D. TI - Molecular Scale Dynamics of Large Ring Polymers JO - Physical review letters VL - 113 IS - 16 SN - 1079-7114 CY - College Park, Md. PB - APS M1 - FZJ-2014-05270 SP - 168302 PY - 2014 AB - We present neutron scattering data on the structure and dynamics of melts from polyethylene oxide rings with molecular weights up to ten times the entanglement mass of the linear counterpart. The data reveal a very compact conformation displaying a structure approaching a mass fractal, as hypothesized by recent simulation work. The dynamics is characterized by a fast Rouse relaxation of subunits (loops) and a slower dynamics displaying a lattice animal-like loop displacement. The loop size is an intrinsic property of the ring architecture and is independent of molecular weight. This is the first experimental observation of the space-time evolution of segmental motion in ring polymers illustrating the dynamic consequences of their topology that is unique among all polymeric systems of any other known architecture. LB - PUB:(DE-HGF)16 UR - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000344032500011 DO - DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.168302 UR - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/171701 ER -