Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization

Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization

Crystallization is a phase transformation process in which crystals are precipitated from a supersaturated solution or formed from other sources. During crystallization, atoms or molecules arrange themselves into a well-defined, rigid crystal lattice to minimize energy.
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

Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria

Recrystallization is a purification technique used to separate impurities from solid compounds. In this technique, no chemical reactions occur. Instead, it exploits physical properties only, specifically, the solubility differences between the desired compound and impurities, either at a single temperature or at different temperatures, and under other selected conditions. The solid-solution equilibrium (solubility equilibrium) of each component in the solution represents a binary phase...

The Colloidal State

The Colloidal State

The formation of a colloidal system is exemplified by an aqueous solution containing Cl− ions is introduced to another containing Ag+ ions, resulting in the precipitation of solid AgCl as extremely tiny crystals. Instead of settling out as a filterable precipitate, these crystals remain suspended in the liquid, showcasing a colloidal system.A colloidal system involves colloidal particles within the approximate range of 1 to 1000 nm in at least one dimension, dispersed in a medium called the...

Precipitation Processes

Precipitation Processes

The experimental conditions in a gravimetric analysis should be optimized to maximize the particle size and purity of the obtained precipitate. Ideally, the concentration of the precipitating reagent should be low with effective stirring to maintain low relative supersaturation for the growth of large crystals. In homogeneous precipitation, the precipitant is slowly generated by a chemical reaction in the solution to avoid local reagent excesses. For example, urea decomposes gradually to...

Precipitate Formation and Particle Size Control

Precipitate Formation and Particle Size Control

In precipitation gravimetry, the precipitating agent should react specifically or selectively with the analyte. While a specific reagent reacts with the analyte alone, a selective reagent can react with a limited number of chemical species.
The obtained precipitate should be either a pure substance of known composition or easily converted to one by a simple process, such as ignition or drying. In addition, the precipitate should be insoluble and easily filterable. In general, filterability...

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Deterministic Acceptance Limits for Statistical Equivalence Testing in Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry·2026

Same author

Radon exhalation rate and emanation factor values in relation to different soil characteristics.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine·2025

Same author

Framework for evaluating legacy high activity building material based on indoor gamma radiation surveys.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine·2025

Same author

Development of a Clostridium Perfringens Challenge Model in Broiler Chickens to Evaluate the Effects of Feed Additives.

Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

Same author

Mycoplasma hyopharyngis isolated from the joint of a weaner: A case report.

Acta veterinaria Hungarica·2024

Same author

Long-term impact of unhealthy food tax on consumption and the drivers behind: A longitudinal study in Hungary.

Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

Optimizing the Growth of Endothiapepsin Crystals for Serial Crystallography Experiments

Optimizing the Growth of Endothiapepsin Crystals for Serial Crystallography Experiments

Published on: February 4, 2021

Amorphous nucleation precursor in highly nonequilibrium fluids.

Gyula I Tóth¹, Tamás Pusztai, György Tegze

¹Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, P.O. Box 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary.

Physical Review Letters

|November 24, 2011

Summary

Dynamical density-functional simulations show amorphous solids form first during crystal nucleation in undercooled liquids. This amorphous phase promotes body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal formation while hindering face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structures.

More Related Videos

Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics

Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics

Published on: January 13, 2023

Synthesis of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Janus Microhydrogels for Anisotropic Thermo-responsiveness and Organophilic/Hydrophilic Loading Capability

Synthesis of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Janus Microhydrogels for Anisotropic Thermo-responsiveness and Organophilic/Hydrophilic Loading Capability

Published on: February 27, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 27, 2026

Optimizing the Growth of Endothiapepsin Crystals for Serial Crystallography Experiments

Optimizing the Growth of Endothiapepsin Crystals for Serial Crystallography Experiments

Published on: February 4, 2021

Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics

Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics

Published on: January 13, 2023

Synthesis of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Janus Microhydrogels for Anisotropic Thermo-responsiveness and Organophilic/Hydrophilic Loading Capability

Synthesis of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Janus Microhydrogels for Anisotropic Thermo-responsiveness and Organophilic/Hydrophilic Loading Capability

Published on: February 27, 2016

Area of Science:

Condensed matter physics
Materials science
Computational chemistry

Background:

Understanding crystal nucleation is crucial for controlling material properties.
Undercooled liquids present complex pathways to solid formation.
Previous models often simplified initial solid phases.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the initial structural evolution during crystal nucleation in undercooled liquids.
To elucidate the role of the first-formed solid phase in subsequent crystal structure selection.
To connect simulation findings to the underlying interatomic interactions.

Main Methods:

Employing dynamical density-functional theory (DDFT) simulations.
Analyzing the structural characteristics of the nascent solid phase.
Deducing the effective interaction potential from the simulated amorphous structure.

Main Results:

The initial solid phase observed is amorphous, not crystalline.
This amorphous structure facilitates the nucleation of body-centered cubic (bcc) crystals.
Conversely, the amorphous phase suppresses the formation of face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) crystal structures.
Specific features of the deduced effective interaction potential correlate with these nucleation behaviors.

Conclusions:

The initial amorphous solid acts as a critical intermediate in crystal nucleation.
The interplay between the amorphous structure and interatomic forces dictates the preferred crystalline polymorph.
These findings offer new insights into controlling crystallization pathways in undercooled systems.