A dual growth mode unique for organic crystals relies on mesoscopic liquid precursors.

Autor: Yerragunta M; William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4226 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-4004, USA.; Welch Center for Advanced Bioactive Materials Crystallization, University of Houston, 4226 M.L. King Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-4004, USA., Tiwari A; Department of Chemistry, Molecular Design Institute, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA., Chakrabarti R; William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4226 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-4004, USA., Rimer JD; William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4226 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-4004, USA.; Welch Center for Advanced Bioactive Materials Crystallization, University of Houston, 4226 M.L. King Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-4004, USA.; Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, 3585 Cullen Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-5003, USA., Kahr B; Department of Chemistry, Molecular Design Institute, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA., Vekilov PG; William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4226 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-4004, USA. vekilov@uh.edu.; Welch Center for Advanced Bioactive Materials Crystallization, University of Houston, 4226 M.L. King Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-4004, USA. vekilov@uh.edu.; Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, 3585 Cullen Blvd., Houston, TX, 77204-5003, USA. vekilov@uh.edu.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Communications chemistry [Commun Chem] 2024 Aug 28; Vol. 7 (1), pp. 190. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 28.
DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01275-3
Abstrakt: Organic solvents host the synthesis of high-value crystals used as pharmaceuticals and optical devices, among other applications. A knowledge gap persists on how replacing the hydrogen bonds and polar attraction that dominate aqueous environments with the weaker van der Waals forces affects the growth mechanism, including its defining feature, whether crystals grow classically or nonclassically. Here we demonstrate a rare dual growth mode of etioporphyrin I crystals, enabled by liquid precursors that associate with crystal surfaces to generate stacks of layers, which then grow laterally by incorporating solute molecules. Our findings reveal the precursors as mesoscopic solute-rich clusters, a unique phase favored by weak bonds such as those between organic solutes. The lateral spreading of the precursor-initiated stacks of layers crucially relies on abundant solute supply directly from the solution, bypassing diffusion along the crystal surface; the direct incorporation pathway may, again, be unique to organic solvents. Clusters that evolve to amorphous particles do not seamlessly integrate into crystal lattices. Crystals growing fast and mostly nonclassically at high supersaturations are not excessively strained. Our findings demonstrate that the weak interactions typical of organic systems promote nonclassical growth modes by supporting liquid precursors and enabling the spreading of multilayer stacks.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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