Spherulite formation in a ?noncrystalline? two-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 material is amorphous. Differential scanning calorimetry, small-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and polarizing microscopy show that the polar head groups form ordered two-dimensional assemblies which organize into spherulites. Temperature-dependent SAXS measurements and the d.s.c. analysis give a close insight into the order-disorder (“melting”) process of the two-dimensional clusters which form macroscopic spherulites. The order-disorder transition of the clusters is closely related to the dynamics and order of the polyisobutene cha…