The elementary reactions for incorporation into crystals.

The growth rates of crystals are largely dictated by the chemical reaction between solute and kinks, in which a solute molecule severs its bonds with the solvent and establishes new bonds with the kink. Details on this sequence of bond breaking and rebuilding remain poorly understood. To elucidate the reaction at the kinks we employ four solvents with distinct functionalities as reporters on the microscopic structures and their dynamics along the pathway into a kink. We combine time-resolved in situ atomic force microscopy and x-ray and optical methods with molecular dynamics simulations. We demonstrate that in all four solvents the solute, etioporphyrin I, molecules reach the steps directly from the solution; this finding identifies the measured rate constant for step growth as the rate constant of the reaction between a solute molecule and a kink. We show that the binding of a solute molecule to a kink divides into two elementary reactions. First, the incoming solute molecule sheds a fraction of its solvent shell and attaches to molecules from the kink by bonds distinct from those in its fully incorporated state. In the second step, the solute breaks these initial bonds and relocates to the kink. The strength of the preliminary bonds with the kink determines the free energy barrier for incorporation into a kink. The presence of an intermediate state, whose stability is controlled by solvents and additives, may illuminate how minor solution components guide the construction of elaborate crystal architectures in nature and the search for solution compositions that suppress undesirable or accelerate favored crystallization in industry.

Deformation twin traces on gold surfaces: A pathway to tailored epitaxial growth of 1D semiconductors.

The field of one-dimensional semiconducting materials holds a wide variety of captivating applications, such as photovoltaic cells, electronic devices, catalysis cells, lasers, and more. The tunability of electrical, mechanical, or optical attributes of a semiconductor crystal relies on the ability to control and pattern the crystal's growth direction, orientation, and dimensions. In this study, we harvest the unique properties of crystallographic defects in Au substrates, specifically twin boundaries, to fabricate selective epitaxial growth of semiconducting nanocrystals. Different crystallographic defects were previously shown to enhance materials properties, such as, screw dislocations providing spiral crystal growth, dislocation outcrops, and vacancies increasing their catalytic activity, dislocation strengthening, and atomic doping changing the crystal's electrical properties. Here, we present a unique phenomenon of directed growth of semiconductor crystals of gold(I)-cyanide (AuCN) on the surface of thin Au layers, using traces of deformation twins on the surface. We show that emergence of deformation twins to the {111} Au surface leads to the formation of ledges, exposing new {001} and {111} facets on the surface. We propose that this phenomenon leads to epitaxial growth of AuCN on the freshly exposed {111} facets of the twin boundary trace ledges. Specific orientations of the twin boundaries with respect to the Au surface allow for patterned growth of AuCN in the <110> orientations. Nano-scale patterning of AuCN semiconductors may provide an avenue for property tuning, particularly the band gap acquired.

Controlling inversion disorder in a stoichiometric spinel magnet.

In the study of frustrated quantum magnets, it is essential to be able to control the nature and degree of site disorder during the growth process, as many measurement techniques are incapable of distinguishing between site disorder and frustration-induced spin disorder. Pyrochlore-structured spinel oxides can serve as model systems of geometrically frustrated three-dimensional quantum magnets; however, the nature of the magnetism in one well-studied spinel, ZnFe2O4, remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate simultaneous control of both stoichiometry and inversion disorder in the growth of ZnFe2O4 single crystals, directly yielding a revised understanding of both the collective spin behavior and lattice symmetry. Crystals grown in the stoichiometric limit with minimal site inversion disorder contravene all the previously suggested exotic spin phases in ZnFe2O4. Furthermore, the structure is confirmed on the [Formula: see text] space group with broken inversion symmetry that induces antiferroelectricity. The effective tuning of magnetic behavior by site disorder in the presence of robust antiferroelectricity makes ZnFe2O4 of special interest to multiferroic devices.

Existence of twisting in dislocation-free protein single crystals.

The growth of high-quality protein crystals is a prerequisite for the structure analysis of proteins by X-ray diffraction. However, dislocation-free perfect crystals such as silicon and diamond have been so far limited to only two kinds of protein crystals, such as glucose isomerase and ferritin crystals. It is expected that many other high-quality or dislocation-free protein crystals still exhibit some imperfection. The clarification of the cause of imperfection is essential for the improvement of crystallinity. Here, we explore twisting as a cause of the imperfection in high-quality protein crystals of hen egg-white lysozyme crystals with polymorphisms (different crystal forms) by digital X-ray topography with synchrotron radiation. The magnitude of the observed twisting is 10−6 to 10−5°/µm which is more than two orders smaller than 10−3 to 104°/µm in other twisted crystals owing to technique limitations with optical and electron microscopy. Twisting is clearly observed in small crystals or in the initial stage of crystal growth. It is uniformly relaxed with crystal growth and becomes smaller in larger crystals. Twisting is one of main residual defects in high-quality crystals and determines the crystal perfection. Furthermore, it is presumed that the handedness of twisting can be ascribed to the anisotropic interaction of chiral protein molecules associated with asymmetric units in the crystal forms. This mechanism of twisting may correspond to the geometric frustration proposed as a primary mechanism of twisting in molecular crystals. Our finding provides insights for the understanding of growth mechanism and the growth control of high-quality crystals.

Step-bunching instability of growing interfaces between ice and supercooled water.

SignificanceStep-bunching instability (SBI) is one of the interfacial instabilities driven by self-organization of elementary step flow associated with crystal-growth dynamics, which has been observed in diverse crystalline materials. However, despite theoretical suggestions of its presence, no direct observations of SBI for simple melt growth have been achieved so far. Here, with the aid of a type of optical microscope and its combination with a two-beam interferometer, we realized quantitative in situ observations of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the SBI. This enables us to examine the origin of the SBI at the level of the step-step interaction. We also found that the SBI spontaneously induces a highly stable spiral growth mode, governing the late stage of the growth process.

Modulating Nucleation and Crystal Growth of Tin Perovskite Films for Efficient Solar Cells.

The performance of tin halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been severely limited by the rapid crystallization of tin perovskites, which usually leads to an undesirable film quality. In this work, we tackle this issue by regulating the nucleation and crystal growth of tin perovskite films using a small Lewis base additive, urea. The urea-SnI2 interaction facilitates the formation of larger and more uniform clusters, thus accelerating the nucleation process. Additionally, the crystal growth process is extended, resulting in a high-quality tin perovskite film with compact morphology, increased crystallinity, and reduced defects. Consequently, the efficiency of tin PSCs is significantly increased from 10.42% to 14.22%. This work highlights the importance of manipulating the nucleation and crystal growth of tin perovskites to realize efficient tin PSCs.

Control of crystal growth during coccolith formation by the coccolithophore Gephyrocapsa oceanica.

Coccolithophores are marine phytoplankton that produce calcite mineral scales called coccoliths. Many stages in the synthesis of these structures are still unresolved, making it difficult to accurately quantify the energetic costs involved in calcification, required to determine the response coccolith mineralization will have to rising ocean acidification and temperature created by an increase in global CO2 concentrations. To clarify this, an improved understanding of how coccolithophores control the fundamental processes of crystallization, including nucleation, growth, and morphology, is needed. Here, we study how crystal growth and morphology is controlled in the coccolithophore Gephyrocapsa oceanica by imaging coccoliths at various stages of maturity using cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryoTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused ion beam SEM (FIB-SEM). We reveal that coccolith units tightly interlock with each other due to the non-vertical alignment of the two-layered tube element, causing these mineral units to extend over the adjacent crystals. In specific directions, the growth of the coccolith tube seems to be impacted by the physical constraint created by the close association of neighbouring units around the ring, influencing the overall morphology and organization of the crystals that develop. Our findings contribute to the overall understanding of how biological systems can manipulate crystallization to produce functional mineralized tissues.

Crystal structure and magnetism of actinide oxides: a review.

In actinide systems, the 5felectrons experience a uniquely delicate balance of effects and interactions having similar energy scales, which are often difficult to properly disentangle. This interplay of factors such as the dual nature of 5f-states, strong electronic correlations, and strong spin-orbit coupling results in electronically unusual and intriguing behavior such as multi-k antiferromagnetic ordering, multipolar ordering, Mott-physics, mixed valence configurations, and more. Despite the inherent allure of their exotic properties, the exploratory science of even the more basic, binary systems like the actinide oxides has been limited due to their toxicity, radioactivity, and reactivity. In this article, we provide an overview of the available synthesis techniques for selected binary actinide oxides, including the actinide dioxides, sesquioxides, and a selection of higher oxides. For these oxides, we also review and evaluate the current state of knowledge of their crystal structures and magnetic properties. In many aspects, substantial knowledge gaps exist in the current body of research on actinide oxides related to understanding their electronic ground states. Bridging these gaps is vital for improving not only a fundamental understanding of these systems but also of future nuclear technologies. To this end, we note the experimental techniques and necessary future investigations which may aid in better elucidating the nature of these fascinating systems.

Sketching Precursor Evolution to Delineate Growth Pathways for Anatase (TiO2) Crystal Design.

Engineering advanced functional materials such as Anatase crystals through the molecular tuning of crystal facets is the current enigma of interest pertinent to solving the structure-property-performance triad. Developing optimal shapes and sizes of crystallite necessitates exploring the nanoscopic growth mechanism via precursor tracking. Here, the tapestry of particles varying in dimensionality (0D-3D), sizes (8-3000 nm), and morphology (aggregated to highly faceted crystals) is generated. To decipher and subsequently modulate the crystallization pathways, high-resolution microscopy (high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM)) is used to sketch time-stamped particle evolution. Interestingly, the studies provide evidence for 4-distinct mechanisms where nanoparticles/nanosheets play direct and/or indirect roles in crystallization through multi-stage aggregation (primary, secondary, and tertiary) beginning with similar growth solutions. The four distinct pathways elucidate bulk particle formation via non-classical routes of crystallization including nanosheet alignment and aggregation, nanocrystallite formation and fusion, nanobeads formation and attachment, and direct nanosheet incorporation in bulk crystals. Notably, the direct evidence of flexible-partially-ordered nanosheets being subsumed along the contours of bulk crystals is captured. These novel syntheses generated uniquely faceted particles with high-indexed surface planes such as (004), (200), and (105), amenable to photocatalytic applications.

Low-temperature Ruby Crystal Growth Via a Supersaturation Process Based on Flux Decomposition.

Crystal growth methods that do not require high temperatures are highly needed for the facile growth of oxide single crystals with melting points of several thousand degrees Celsius. This paper represents the first report of a method for the low-temperature growth of ruby crystals (chromium-doped Al2O3) at 750 °C, which is one-third of the conventionally required temperature (2050 °C). In solution-based crystal growth, the target crystal is grown at a temperature considerably lower than its melting point. However, conventional crystal growth processes involving solvent evaporation and cooling require high temperatures to completely liquefy the material, with previously reported solution growth temperatures of ≈1100 °C. Supersaturation based on the decomposition of crystal-solvent intermediates eliminates the need to completely liquefy the material, enabling low-temperature crystal growth. The combination of computational and experimental investigations helps determine the optimum conditions for low-temperature crystal growth. The proposed method is a novel green process that breaks the conventional frontiers of crystal growth while ensuring eco-friendliness and low energy consumption. In addition, its scope can potentially be expanded to the synthesis of various crystals and direct growth on substrates with low melting points.

Bio-Inspired Fluorescent Calcium Sulfate for the Conservation of Gypsum Plasterwork.

In this work, the potential of bio-inspired strategies for the synthesis of calcium sulfate (CaSO4·nH2O) materials for heritage conservation is explored. For this, a nonclassical multi-step crystallization mechanism to understand the effect of calcein- a fluorescent chelating agent with a high affinity for divalent cations- on the nucleation and growth of calcium sulfate phases is proposed. Moving from the nano- to the macro-scale, this strategy sets the basis for the design and production of fluorescent nano-bassanite (NB-C; CaSO4·0.5H2O), with application as a fully compatible consolidant for the conservation of historic plasterwork. Once applied to gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) plaster specimens, cementation upon hydration of nano-bassanite results in a significant increase in mechanical strength, while intracrystalline occlusion of calcein in newly-formed gypsum cement improves its weathering resistance. Furthermore, under UV irradiation, the luminescence produced by calcein molecules occluded in gypsum crystals formed upon nano-bassanite hydration allows the easy identification of the newly deposited consolidant within the treated gypsum plaster without altering the substrate's appearance.

Controlling the Crystal Growth of DNA Molecules via Strategic Chemical Modifications.

Intermolecular interactions are critical to the crystallization of biomolecules, yet the precise control of biomolecular crystal growth based on these interactions remains elusive. To understand the connections between the crystallization kinetics and the strength of intermolecular interactions, herein we have employed DNA triangular crystals and modified ones as a versatile tool to investigate how the strength of intermolecular interaction affects crystal growth. Interestingly, we have found that the 2'-O-methylation at sticky ends of the DNA triangle could strengthen its intermolecular interaction, resulting in the accelerated formation of smaller crystals. Conversely, phosphorothioate modification could weaken the sticky-end cohesion and delay the nucleation, resulting in formation of fewer but larger crystals. In addition, these modification effects were consistently observed in the crystallization of a DNA decamer. In one word, our experimental results demonstrate that the strength of intermolecular interaction directly impacts crystal growth. It suggests that 2'-O-methylation and phosphorothioate modification represents a rational strategy for controlling DNA molecules grow into desired crystals and it also facilitates structural determination.

Bipyramidal Nanocrystals of Noble Metals: From Synthesis to Applications.

Shape control has been a major theme of nanocrystal research in terms of synthesis, property tailoring, and optimization of performance in a variety of applications. Among the possible shapes, bipyramids are unique owing to their symmetry, planar defects, and exposed facets. In this article, we focus on the colloidal synthesis of noble-metal nanocrystals featuring a triangular bipyramidal shape, together with highlights of their properties and applications. We start with a brief discussion of the general classification and requirements for the nucleation and growth of bipyramidal nanocrystals, followed by specific aspects regarding the synthetic methods with a focus on the roles of reduction, etching, and capping, as well as controls of facet, size, aspect ratio, and corner truncation. In the end, we illustrate how these aspects affect the properties of bipyramidal nanocrystals for plasmonic and catalytic applications, together with future perspectives.

Selenophosphate Pb2P2Se6 Single Crystals Growth by Chemical Vapor Transport (CVT) Method for Radiation Detection.

The heavy metal selenophosphate Pb2P2Se6emerges as a promising room-temperature X-ray/γ-ray detectors due to its high resistivity, robust radiation-blocking capability, and outstanding carrier mobility-lifetime product, etc. However, the high activity of phosphides poses significant impediment to the synthesis and single crystal growth. In this work, we have prepared high-quality Pb2P2Se6 single crystals with using the chemical vapor transport (CVT) method. The XRD analysis combined with EDS result confirmed the uniform composition of the resulting as-grown single crystals, while UV-Vis-NIR transmittance spectra revealed the bandgap of 1.89 eV. Selected area electron diffraction patterns indicated the crystal belonged to the P21/c(14) space group. Additionally, the Au/Pb2P2Se6/Au device is fabricated, which exhibits a robust X-ray response with a sensitivity of 648.61 µC·Gy-1·cm-2 at 400 V·mm-1 under 50 kVp. Notably, the device also excels in alpha particle detection, boasting a resolution of ~14.48% under a bias of 400 V bias. The hole mobility-lifetime product (µτ)h of Pb2P2Se6 is estimated to be ~2.58×10-5 cm2·V-1. The results underscore potential applications of Pb2P2Se6 crystal is in the field of the semiconductor radiation detectors.

Effects of Polymers on Cocrystal Growth in a Drug-Drug Coamorphous System: Relations between Glass-to-Crystal Growth and Surface-Enhanced Crystal Growth.

Coamorphous and cocrystal drug delivery systems provide attractive crystal engineering strategies for improving the solubilities, dissolution rates, and oral bioavailabilities of poorly water-soluble drugs. Polymeric additives have often been used to inhibit the unwanted crystallization of amorphous drugs. However, the transformation of a coamorphous phase to a cocrystal phase in the presence of polymers has not been fully elucidated. Herein, we investigated the effects of low concentrations of the polymeric excipients poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) on the growth of carbamazepine-celecoxib (CBZ-CEL) cocrystals from the corresponding coamorphous phase. PEO accelerated the growth rate of the cocrystals by increasing the molecular mobility of the coamorphous system, while PVP had the opposite effect. The coamorphous CBZ-CEL system exhibited two anomalously fast crystal growth modes: glass-to-crystal (GC) growth in the bulk and accelerated crystal growth at the free surface. These two fast growth modes both disappeared after doping with PEO (1-3% w/w) but were retained in the presence of PVP, indicating a potential correlation between the two fast crystal growth modes. We propose that the different effects of PEO and PVP on the crystal growth modes arose from weaker effects of the polymers on cocrystallization at the surface than in the bulk. This work provides a deep understanding of the mechanisms by which polymers influence the cocrystallization kinetics of a multicomponent amorphous phase and highlights the importance of polymer selection in stabilizing coamorphous systems or preparing cocrystals via solid-based methods.

Self-catalytic growth of one-dimensional materials within dislocations in gold.

Dislocations in metals affect their properties on the macro- and the microscales. For example, they increase a metal's hardness and strength. Dislocation outcrops exist on the surfaces of such metals, and atoms in the proximity of these outcrops are more loosely bonded, facilitating local chemical corrosion and reactivity. In this study, we present a unique autocatalytic mechanism by which a system of inorganic semiconducting gold(I) cyanide nanowires forms within preexisting dislocation lines in a plastically deformed Au-Ag alloy. The formation occurs during the classical selective dealloying process that forms nanoporous Au. Nucleation of the nanowire originates at the surfaces of the catalytic dislocation outcrops. The nanowires are single crystals that spontaneously undergo layer-by-layer one-dimensional growth. The continuous growth of nanowires is achieved when the dislocation density exceeds a critical value evaluated on the basis of a kinetic model that we developed.

Research on Classification Algorithm of Silicon Single-Crystal Growth Temperature Gradient Trend Based on Multi-Level Feature Fusion.

In the process of silicon single-crystal preparation, the timely identification and adjustment of abnormal conditions are crucial. Failure to promptly detect and resolve issues may result in a substandard silicon crystal product quality or even crystal pulling failure. Therefore, the early identification of abnormal furnace conditions is essential for ensuring the preparation of perfect silicon single crystals. Additionally, since the thermal field is the fundamental driving force for stable crystal growth and the primary assurance of crystal quality, this paper proposes a silicon single-crystal growth temperature gradient trend classification algorithm based on multi-level feature fusion. The aim is to accurately identify temperature gradient changes during silicon crystal growth, in order to promptly react to early growth failures and ensure the stable growth of high-quality silicon single crystals to meet industrial production requirements. The algorithm first divides the temperature gradient trend into reasonable categories based on expert knowledge and qualitative analysis methods. Then, it fuses the original features of actual production data, shallow features extracted based on statistical information, and deep features extracted through deep learning. During the fusion process, the algorithm considers the impact of different features on the target variable and calculates mutual information based on the difference between information entropy and conditional entropy, ultimately using mutual information for feature weighting. Subsequently, the fused multi-level feature vectors and their corresponding trend labels are input into a Deep Belief Network (DBN) model to capture process dynamics and classify trend changes. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively predict the changing trend of thermal field temperature gradients. The introduction of this algorithm will help improve the accuracy of fault trend prediction in silicon single-crystal preparation, thereby minimizing product quality issues and production interruptions caused by abnormal conditions.

Optical Sensing of Tissue Freezing Depth by Sapphire Cryo-Applicator and Steady-State Diffuse Reflectance Analysis.

This work describes a sapphire cryo-applicator with the ability to sense tissue freezing depth during cryosurgery by illumination of tissue and analyzing diffuse optical signals in a steady-state regime. The applicator was manufactured by the crystal growth technique and has several spatially resolved internal channels for accommodating optical fibers. The method of reconstructing freezing depth proposed in this work requires one illumination and two detection channels. The analysis of the detected intensities yields the estimation of the time evolution of the effective attenuation coefficient, which is compared with the theoretically calculated values obtained for a number of combinations of tissue parameters. The experimental test of the proposed applicator and approach for freezing depth reconstruction was performed using gelatin-based tissue phantom and rat liver tissue in vivo. It revealed the ability to estimate depth up to 8 mm. The in vivo study confirmed the feasibility of the applicator to sense the freezing depth of living tissues despite the possible diversity of their optical parameters. The results justify the potential of the described design of a sapphire instrument for cryosurgery.

Bridgman-Grown (Cd,Mn)Te and (Cd,Mn)(Te,Se): A Comparison of Suitability for X and Gamma Detectors.

This study explores the suitability of (Cd,Mn)Te and (Cd,Mn)(Te,Se) as room-temperature X-ray and gamma-ray detector materials, grown using the Bridgman method. The investigation compares their crystal structure, mechanical and optical properties, and radiation detection capabilities. Both crystals can yield large-area single crystal samples measuring approximately 30 × 30 mm2. In low-temperature photoluminescence analysis, both materials showed defect states, and annealing in cadmium vapors effectively eliminated donor-acceptor pair luminescence in (Cd,Mn)Te but not in (Cd,Mn)(Te,Se). Moreover, harder (Cd,Mn)(Te,Se) exhibited a higher etch pit density compared to softer (Cd,Mn)Te. X-ray diffraction examination revealed uniform lattice constant distribution in both compounds, with variations at a part per million level. (Cd,Mn)Te crystals demonstrated excellent single crystal properties with narrower omega scan widths, while (Cd,Mn)(Te,Se) exhibited a high contribution of block-like structures with significantly larger misorientation angles. Spectroscopic evaluations revealed better performance of a pixelated (Cd,Mn)Te detector, in comparison to (Cd,Mn)(Te,Se), achieving a mean full width at half maximum of 14% for the 122 keV gamma peak of Co-57. The reduced performance of the (Cd,Mn)(Te,Se) detector may be attributed to deep trap-related luminescence or block-like structures with larger misorientation angles. In conclusion, Bridgman-grown (Cd,Mn)Te emerges as a more promising material for X-ray and gamma-ray detectors when compared to (Cd,Mn)(Te,Se).

Microgravity-like Crystallization of Paramagnetic Species in Strong Magnetic Fields.

The crystallization of paramagnetic species in a magnetic field gradient under microgravity-like conditions is an area of interest for both fundamental and applied science. In this paper, a setup for the crystallization of paramagnetic species in the magnetic field up to 7 T generated by a superconducting magnet is described. The research includes calculations of the conditions necessary to compensate for the gravitational force for several types of paramagnetic substances using the magnetic field of superconducting magnets (4.7 T, 7 T, 9.4 T, and 16.4 T). Additionally, for the first time, the crystallization of copper sulfate and cobalt sulfate, as well as a mixture of copper sulfate and cobalt sulfate under gravitational force compensation in a superconducting magnet, was performed. This paper experimentally demonstrates the feasibility of growing paramagnetic crystals within the volume of a test tube on the example of copper and cobalt sulfate crystals. A comparison of crystals grown from the solution of a mixture of copper and cobalt sulfates under the same conditions, with and without the presence of a magnetic field, showed changes in both the number and size of crystals.