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Updated: May 2, 2026

Optimization of Crystal Growth for Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography

Optimization of Crystal Growth for Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography

Published on: March 13, 2021

Manipulating crystallization with molecular additives.

Alexander G Shtukenberg¹, Stephanie S Lee, Bart Kahr

¹Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003; email: bart.kahr@nyu.edu , mdw3@nyu.edu.

Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

|March 4, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Additives significantly influence organic crystal formation and growth. Understanding these mechanisms, including nucleation and morphology, is key to developing new materials for diverse applications.

Keywords:

critical nucleus size dislocation generation nanoconfined crystallization polymorphism tailor-made additives twisted crystals

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Calcium Carbonate Formation in the Presence of Biopolymeric Additives

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Chemical Engineering
Crystallography

Background:

Organic crystals are vital in numerous industrial applications.
Controlling crystal properties (structure, size, shape, orientation) is a major research focus.
Additives are known to influence crystallization, but fundamental mechanisms remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current research on the role of additives in organic crystal formation and growth.
To highlight how additives impact nucleation, growth mechanisms, and morphology.
To bridge knowledge gaps in the fundamental understanding of additive-mediated crystallization.

Main Methods:

Literature review of recent research discoveries.
Analysis of studies investigating additive effects on crystal nucleation.
Examination of research on dislocation spiral growth, growth inhibition, and nonclassical morphologies.

Main Results:

Additives, whether designed or incidental, play a crucial role at various crystallization stages.
Selective binding of additives to crystallographic surfaces influences growth patterns.
Additives can inhibit growth and lead to nonclassical crystal shapes.

Conclusions:

Insights into additive mechanisms can guide the development of novel crystallization control methods.
Further research will enable precise manipulation of organic crystal properties.
This understanding is critical for advancing materials science and industrial applications.