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Related Concept Videos

Structures of Solids02:22

Structures of Solids

18.0K
Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
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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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X-ray Crystallography02:18

X-ray Crystallography

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The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
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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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Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization01:25

Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization

5.7K
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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Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

3.1K
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...
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Updated: May 5, 2026

Creating Two-Dimensional Patterned Substrates for Protein and Cell Confinement
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Creating Two-Dimensional Patterned Substrates for Protein and Cell Confinement

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Spatially Patterned, Porous Protein Crystals as Multifunctional Materials.

Kenneth Han1, Zhiyin Zhang1, F Akif Tezcan1,2

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|August 29, 2023
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Summary

Protein crystals are versatile functional materials. Researchers engineered patterned ferritin crystals with distinct domains and tunable morphologies for advanced applications in catalysis and materials science.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Biotechnology
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Protein crystals, historically used for structure determination, offer unique properties like porosity, biocompatibility, and tailorability.
  • Their potential as functional materials can be enhanced through precise spatial patterning and morphology control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To augment the utility of protein crystals as functional materials by controlling their spatial patterning and morphology.
  • To engineer ferritin self-assembly for creating advanced protein crystal architectures.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the controllable self-assembly of ferritin proteins.
  • Constructed core-shell protein crystals with chemically distinct domains and tunable patterns.
  • Exploited differential growth kinetics of crystal facets to create Janus-type architectures.

Main Results:

  • Successfully generated patterned, multi-enzyme frameworks with cooperative catalytic activity.
  • Assembled anisotropic Janus-type protein crystal architectures with distinct domain arrangements.
  • Demonstrated the application of morphology control and spatial patterning in engineering protein crystals.

Conclusions:

  • Protein crystals can be engineered as sophisticated reaction vessels for complex multi-step reactions.
  • Spatial patterning and morphology control significantly broaden the utility of protein crystals as functional, solid-state materials.
  • These advancements align key concepts from materials science and nanotechnology with protein crystal engineering.