Polymer Crystallization on One-Dimensional Templates: From a Hybrid Shish-Kebab-like Structure to Material Properties

When fillers with a high aspect ratio are added into polymer matrix, interfacial crystallization can drive the formation of hybrid shish-kebab (HSK)-like structures including hybrid shish-calabash, hybrid shish-kebab, and transcrystalline layer structures. Such structures have attracted much attention in the past 20 years due to their excellent mechanical properties and the potential to prepare novel functional materials. There are diverse one-dimensional (1D) templates being able to act as shish templates and various polymer matrix growing on its surface as kebab/calabash in the literature. In this review, we aim to summarize the HSK-like structures based on different categories of 1D shish templates including carbon nanotubes, electrospinning nanofibers, self-assembling nucleating agents, and commercial synthetic and natural fibers. Meanwhile, we will discuss the formation mechanism of HSK-like structures and strategies to adjust its morphology by polymer crystallization. The mechanical properties of the hybrid materials with HSK-like structures are also discussed. We hope this review will inspire innovative works in the preparation of novel HSK-like structures and boost the development of polymer materials in the near future.