Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Factors Affecting Dissolution: Polymorphism, Amorphism and Pseudopolymorphism01:21

Factors Affecting Dissolution: Polymorphism, Amorphism and Pseudopolymorphism

Polymorphism refers to the existence of a drug substance in multiple crystalline forms, known as polymorphs. Recently, this term has been expanded to include solvates (forms containing a solvent), amorphous forms (non-crystalline forms), and desolvated solvates (forms from which the solvent has been removed).
Some polymorphic crystals possess lower aqueous solubility than their amorphous counterparts, leading to incomplete absorption. For instance, the oral suspension of Chloramphenicol, which...
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

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...
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals I03:24

Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals I

The mathematical expression known as the wave function, ψ, contains information about each orbital and the wavelike properties of electrons in an isolated atom. When atoms are bound together in a molecule, the wave functions combine to produce new mathematical descriptions that have different shapes. This process of combining the wave functions for atomic orbitals is called hybridization and is mathematically accomplished by the linear combination of atomic orbitals. The new orbitals that...
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Non-Stoichiometric Defects01:29

Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Non-Stoichiometric Defects

Non-stoichiometric defects refer to a type of defect in the crystal structure of a compound where the ratio of its constituent elements deviates from the ideal stoichiometric ratio. There are two main types of non-stoichiometric defects: metal excess defects and metal deficiency defects.Metal excess defects occur when there is a slight surplus of metal ions than what is required by the stoichiometric ratio of the compound. For example, heating a sodium chloride crystal in sodium vapor results...
Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria01:10

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...
Solid–Solid Solutions01:24

Solid–Solid Solutions

The temperature-composition phase diagram of two solids, A and B, which are immiscible in the solid phase but form miscible liquids, shows that when the temperature is low, these two exist as separate, pure solids (A and B). As the temperature increases, they transition into a single-phase liquid solution where A and B coexist. Moving from point a1 to a2 in the phase diagram, the composition changes such that solid B begins to separate from the solution, enriching the remaining liquid with A.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Exciton dispersion fine structure and deep ultraviolet optical conductivity of freestanding two-dimensional h-BN.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Free energy barrier and thermal-quantum behavior of sliding bilayer graphene.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025
Same author

Infrared markers of topological phase transitions in quantum spin Hall insulators.

npj computational materials·2025
Same author

Excitonic Effects in Phonons: Reshaping the Graphene Kohn Anomalies and Lifetimes.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Temperature-invariant crystal-glass heat conduction: From meteorites to refractories.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

From Structure to Performance: The Critical Role of DNTT Morphology in Organic TFTs.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2025
Same journal

High-precision memristor-based computing.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

Boundary geometry controls a topological defect transition that determines lumen nucleation in embryonic development.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

Surface geometry controls bulk topological defects that govern embryonic structures.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

Electron-phonon coupling and symmetry breaking in superconducting oxide interfaces near ferroelectric quantum criticality.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

A highly conductive polar metal with efficient charge-spin conversion.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

Giant and broadband circular dichroism from particle-hole symmetry breaking in Weyl semimetals.

Nature materials·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
08:55

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Published on: June 7, 2018

Hidden polymorphs drive vitrification in B2O3.

Guillaume Ferlat1, Ari Paavo Seitsonen, Michele Lazzeri

  • 1IMPMC, UMR 7590 CNRS-Université P. et M. Curie, 4, Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France. ferlat@impmc.upmc.fr

Nature Materials
|September 4, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Boron trioxide (B(2)O(3)) exhibits a crystallization anomaly due to previously unknown crystalline forms. These polymorphs explain its glass-forming ability and offer potential for novel nanoporous materials.

More Related Videos

Synthesis and Exfoliation of Discotic Zirconium Phosphates to Obtain Colloidal Liquid Crystals
08:54

Synthesis and Exfoliation of Discotic Zirconium Phosphates to Obtain Colloidal Liquid Crystals

Published on: May 25, 2016

Negative Additive Manufacturing of Complex Shaped Boron Carbides
06:45

Negative Additive Manufacturing of Complex Shaped Boron Carbides

Published on: September 18, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
08:55

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Published on: June 7, 2018

Synthesis and Exfoliation of Discotic Zirconium Phosphates to Obtain Colloidal Liquid Crystals
08:54

Synthesis and Exfoliation of Discotic Zirconium Phosphates to Obtain Colloidal Liquid Crystals

Published on: May 25, 2016

Negative Additive Manufacturing of Complex Shaped Boron Carbides
06:45

Negative Additive Manufacturing of Complex Shaped Boron Carbides

Published on: September 18, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Solid State Chemistry
  • Computational Materials Science

Background:

  • Understanding liquid crystallization versus vitrification is a key scientific challenge.
  • The relationship between glassy states and crystalline polymorphs remains poorly understood.
  • Boron trioxide (B(2)O(3)) presents a unique case with exceptional glass-forming ability but limited known crystalline phases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying reasons for B(2)O(3)'s unusual glass-forming behavior and crystallization anomaly.
  • To discover and characterize new crystalline polymorphs of B(2)O(3).
  • To establish a theoretical framework explaining the link between polymorphism and vitrification in B(2)O(3).

Main Methods:

  • Ab initio calculations were employed to explore the potential energy surface of B(2)O(3).
  • Structural and energetic properties of predicted crystalline polymorphs were analyzed.
  • The influence of pressure on the stability and energy landscape of B(2)O(3) polymorphs was investigated.

Main Results:

  • The existence of previously unknown B(2)O(3) crystalline polymorphs was discovered.
  • These novel polymorphs exhibit structural similarities to the glassy state and comparable formation energies to the known ambient crystal.
  • High energy degeneracy of polymorphs at ambient pressure, suppressed under pressure, was identified as a key factor.

Conclusions:

  • The discovered polymorphs provide a framework for understanding B(2)O(3)'s glass-forming ability and crystallization anomaly.
  • This work reconciles B(2)O(3)'s behavior with other glassy systems, highlighting the role of polymorphism in vitrification.
  • Predicted cage-like B(2)O(3) crystals composed of three-fold rings open avenues for synthesizing novel boron-based nanoporous materials.