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Related Concept Videos

Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

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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...
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Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization01:25

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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...
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Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria01:10

Recrystallization: Solid–Solution Equilibria

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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...
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Solution Equilibrium and Saturation01:59

Solution Equilibrium and Saturation

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Imagine adding a small amount of sugar to a glass of water, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved, and then adding a bit more. You can repeat this process until the sugar concentration of the solution reaches its natural limit, a limit determined primarily by the relative strengths of the solute-solute, solute-solvent, and solvent-solvent attractive forces. You can be certain that you have reached this limit because, no matter how long you stir the solution, undissolved sugar remains. The...
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Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes02:58

Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes

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Crystal Field Theory
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
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Trends in Lattice Energy: Ion Size and Charge02:54

Trends in Lattice Energy: Ion Size and Charge

26.2K
An ionic compound is stable because of the electrostatic attraction between its positive and negative ions. The lattice energy of a compound is a measure of the strength of this attraction. The lattice energy (ΔHlattice) of an ionic compound is defined as the energy required to separate one mole of the solid into its component gaseous ions. For the ionic solid sodium chloride, the lattice energy is the enthalpy change of the process:
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Updated: Dec 12, 2025

Optimization of Crystal Growth for Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography
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Optimization of Crystal Growth for Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography

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Self-Lifting NaCl Crystals.

Herish Salim1, Paul Kolpakov1, Daniel Bonn1

  • 1Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|August 14, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Macroscopic sodium chloride (NaCl) crystals spontaneously lift from hydrophobic surfaces as smaller crystals form "legs." Crystal growth kinetics dictate this self-lifting behavior, reaching speeds of up to 0.5 cm/min.

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Harvesting and Cryo-cooling Crystals of Membrane Proteins Grown in Lipidic Mesophases for Structure Determination by Macromolecular Crystallography
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Growing Protein Crystals with Distinct Dimensions Using Automated Crystallization Coupled with In Situ Dynamic Light Scattering
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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Surface Science

Background:

  • Crystal growth from evaporating solutions is a common phenomenon.
  • Surface properties significantly influence crystal-solution interactions.
  • Understanding crystal-surface dynamics is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spontaneous self-lifting behavior of sodium chloride (NaCl) crystals from hydrophobic surfaces.
  • To elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving crystal detachment.
  • To determine the factors influencing the speed of this self-lifting phenomenon.

Main Methods:

  • Observing macroscopic NaCl crystal formation from evaporating aqueous solutions on hydrophobic substrates.
  • Utilizing microscopy to analyze crystal morphology and growth patterns.
  • Measuring crystal lifting speeds at varying temperatures to study kinetics.

Main Results:

  • Macroscopic NaCl crystals spontaneously lift from hydrophobic surfaces.
  • The formation of smaller NaCl crystals acting as 'legs' was identified as the lifting mechanism.
  • Lifting speed exhibited Arrhenius behavior, indicating crystal growth kinetics control the process.
  • Surface hydrophobicity is essential but not solely sufficient for self-lifting.

Conclusions:

  • Crystal growth-driven leg formation enables spontaneous detachment from hydrophobic surfaces.
  • The self-lifting phenomenon is governed by crystal growth kinetics and surface properties.
  • This discovery offers new insights into crystal-surface interactions and potential applications in materials science.