Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Assessing Two-dimensional Crystallization Trials of Small Membrane Proteins for Structural Biology Studies by Electron Crystallography
Published on: October 29, 2010
Crystallization kinetics of a 2D system using molecular dynamics simulation
Luis Gustavo V Gonçalves1, José Pedro Rino
1Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, 13.565-905, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. vieira@df.ufscar.br
Abstract:
We present a study about the crystallization behavior of a two-dimensional particle system via molecular dynamics simulation. The interaction potential used here is a modified version of the Lennard-Jones potential which has the square lattice as the stable crystal structure at zero-pressure. The growth rate and the thermodynamic melting point are determined using a system with a free surface in the x direction. We also performed simulations of a supercooled liquid system with periodic boundary conditions to estimate the nucleation rate, the critical nucleus size, and the time lag of nucleation. These properties are important tools for understanding the crystallization phenomenon in a variety of materials.
Related Concept Videos
Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization
Initiating crystallization involves manipulating the concentration of the solute and the temperature of the solution. Since crystal growth occurs when the ratio of concentration and solubility of the solute in the solvent – the...
Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria

