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Related Concept Videos

Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Colloidal precipitates01:09

Colloidal precipitates

The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
Micelles01:30

Micelles

Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
Formation of Complex Ions03:45

Formation of Complex Ions

A type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules like H2O or NH3, or ions such as CN− or OH−. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom. These types of Lewis acid-base reactions are examples of a broad subdiscipline called coordination...
Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization01:25

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

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

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Published on: June 7, 2018

Supersaturation-dependent surface structure evolution: from ionic, molecular to metallic micro/nanocrystals.

Hai-xin Lin1, Zhi-chao Lei, Zhi-yuan Jiang

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 11, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Controlling supersaturation during crystal growth tunes exposed crystal faces. Higher supersaturation leads to crystallites with higher surface-energy faces, enabling tailored material synthesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Crystallography
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Crystal face energy is crucial for material properties and applications.
  • Controlling crystal morphology is a key challenge in materials synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose and validate a strategy for tuning exposed crystal faces by controlling supersaturation.
  • To demonstrate the synthesis of micro/nanocrystals with specific high-surface-energy faces.

Main Methods:

  • Thermodynamic analysis and the Thomson-Gibbs equation were used to establish the relationship between surface energy and supersaturation.
  • Experimental synthesis of ionic, molecular, and metallic micro/nanocrystals under varying supersaturation conditions.

Main Results:

  • Surface energy of crystal faces is directly proportional to supersaturation.
  • Higher supersaturation levels resulted in the formation of crystallites exposing higher surface-energy faces.
  • Successful synthesis of ionic (NaCl), molecular (TBPe), and metallic (Au, Pd) micro/nanocrystals with desired faces.

Conclusions:

  • Supersaturation is a simple yet effective parameter for controlling exposed crystal faces.
  • This strategy allows for the rational design of micro/nanocrystals with specific faces and functionalities.
  • The method is applicable across diverse material types, including ionic, molecular, and metallic systems.