Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2025
07:26
Improving High Viscosity Extrusion of Microcrystals for Time-resolved Serial Femtosecond Crystallography at X-ray Lasers
Published on: February 28, 2019
9.0K
Selective manipulation of L-cysteine crystal polymorphs using focused laser beams.
Hozumi Takahashi1, Hiroshi Y Yoshikawa2, Teruki Sugiyama3,4
1Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan. h.takahashi@eei.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp.
Communications Chemistry
|May 16, 2025
Summary
Laser trapping precisely controls crystal polymorphs of L-cysteine. Different laser types yield specific crystal forms, enabling new pathways for stable phase single crystal growth and advanced material development.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Crystallography
- Laser Physics
Background:
- Crystal polymorphs possess distinct physical and chemical properties, crucial for various applications.
- Controlling polymorphism is vital for tailoring material performance in pharmaceuticals and industry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate selective polymorphic manipulation using laser trapping.
- To explore novel crystallization pathways for L-cysteine polymorphs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized laser trapping for contactless manipulation of matter at nano- and micrometer scales.
- Employed continuous-wave (CW) and high-repetition-rate femtosecond (fs) laser pulses for crystal growth.
- Strategically alternated CW and fs laser irradiation during L-cysteine crystallization.
Main Results:
- Continuous-wave laser irradiation produced single crystals of the metastable L-cysteine polymorph.
- Femtosecond laser pulses induced poly-crystallization of the stable L-cysteine form.
- Alternating laser modalities enabled new crystallization pathways, including stable phase single crystal growth.
Conclusions:
- Focused laser beams offer precise control over polymorphic engineering.
- This technique opens avenues for developing advanced materials with specific, tailored properties.
- Laser-induced polymorphic control has significant implications for pharmaceutical and materials science.
