On the Helical Crystals of Cholesterol Monohydrate

We review in this short perspective the history of cholesterol crystals and crystal structures. We address in particular the helical crystals that form in vitro and in pathology from environments rich in bile acids or from phospholipid membranes. We review the known mechanisms leading to crystals with chiral morphology, from screw-dislocation mediated growth to mechanisms involving asymmetric mechanical strain. We propose a mechanism for cholesterol helical crystal development based on the monoclinic cholesterol monohydrate crystal structure. We suggest that curvature arises in few layers thick crystals due to the tension induced between the hydrophobic layer and the ice-like H-bonded lattice of the water molecules with the cholesterol hydroxy groups. Helicity would ensue through a combination of the curvature and the fast growth of a thin ribbon in one crystal direction.     

Nonspherical colloidal crystals fabricated by the thermal pressing of colloidal crystal chips

Nonspherical colloids and their ordered arrays may be more attractive in applications such as photonic crystals than their spherical counterparts because of their lower symmetries, although such structures are difficult to achieve. In this letter, we describe the fabrication and characterization of colloidal crystals constructed from nonspherical polyhedrons. We fabricated such nonspherical colloidal crystals by pressing spherical polymer colloidal crystal chips at a temperature slightly lower than the glass-transition temperature (T(g)) of these polymer colloids. During this process, the polymer microspheres were distinctively transformed into polyhedrons according to their crystal structures, whereas the long-range order of the 3D lattice was essentially preserved. Because a working temperature lower than T(g) effectively prevented the colloidal crystals from fusing into films, the spherical colloidal crystals were transformed greatly under pressure, which lead to obvious change in the optical properties of colloidal crystals. Besides their special symmetry and optical properties, these nonspherical colloidal crystals can be used as templates for 2D or 3D structures of special symmetry, such as 2D nano-networks. We anticipate that this fabrication technique for nonspherical colloidal crystals can also be extended to nonspherical porous materials.     

Optical Waveguiding Organic Single Crystals Exhibiting Physical and Chemical Bending Features

Bendable (elastic and plastic) organic single crystals have been widely studied as emerging flexible materials with highly ordered packing structures. However, even though manifold bendable organic crystals have been recently reported, most of them bend in response to only one stimulus. Herein, we report an organic single crystal of (Z)‐4‐(1‐cyano‐2‐(4‐(dimethylamino)phenyl)vinyl)benzonitrile, which bends under external stress (physical process) and also hydrochloric acid atmosphere (chemical process). This observation indicates that a single organic crystal, whose structure has been optimized simultaneously at both the molecular and supramolecular levels, may display multiple crystal‐bending modes. Furthermore, the crystals exhibit bright orange‐yellow emission and can serve as an active low‐loss optical waveguide in both the straight and the bent state, which indicates a potential optical application.     

液晶自组装多层级结构及其应用

液晶的分层组装与刺激响应特性使其在先进功能材料的开发与应用领域具有独特的优势.通过特定的技术手段诱导其自组装行为,可带来新奇的光学、机械、电磁等性能,进而实现一系列全新的技术应用.本文主要针对近晶相、胆甾相、蓝相这三种特殊的液晶相态,系统介绍了多形态焦锥畴结构,分层油纹,螺旋结构,双螺旋扭曲柱立方晶格等多层级结构,重点论述了材料组分优化,几何结构限制以及外场激励等条件下液晶多层级结构的大面积精细操控,回顾了其在粒子操控、表面改性、光子技术等领域的相关技术应用,并总结展望了液晶组装技术与应用的发展前景.     

Achiral Calcium‐Oxalate Crystals with Chiral Morphology from the Leaves of Some Solanacea Plants

The leaves of some plants, particularly among the Solanacea, contain crystals of calcium oxalate with a peculiar chiral pseudo‐tetrahedral morphology, even though the calcium oxalate crystal structure is centrosymmetric, hence achiral. We studied the morphology of these crystals extracted from the leaves of three Solanacea plants: the potato, the hot pepper, and a species of wild Solanum. The crystal morphology was the same in all three species. Based on the examination of more than 100 crystals from each plant, we showed that the crystal morphology is chiral with invariant chirality. We suggest that morphological chirality is induced by macromolecules during nucleation from a specific, genetically encoded crystal plane, and is further established during subsequent controlled crystal growth. This is one of few examples where it is possible to deduce a molecular mechanism for biologically induced breaking of morphological symmetry in organisms. A very high level of recognition is required by the macromolecules to allow them to distinguish between symmetry‐related crystal planes. It is also surprising that this finely controlled mechanism of crystal formation, including the chiral morphology, has been conserved during evolution.     

LiCoO(2) Concaved Cuboctahedrons from Symmetry-Controlled Topological Reactions

Morphology control of functional materials is generally performed by controlling the growth rates on selected orientations or faces. Here, we control particle morphology by "crystal templating": by choosing appropriate precursor crystals and reaction conditions, we demonstrate that a material with rhombohedral symmetry-namely the layered, positive electrode material, LiCoO(2)-can grow to form a quadruple-twinned crystal with overall cubic symmetry. The twinned crystals show an unusual, concaved-cuboctahedron morphology, with uniform particle sizes of 0.5-2 μm. On the basis of a range of synthetic and analytical experiments, including solid-state NMR, X-ray powder diffraction analysis and HRTEM, we propose that these twinned crystals form via selective dissolution and an ion-exchange reaction accompanied by oxidation of a parent crystal of CoO, a material with cubic symmetry. This template crystal serves to nucleate the growth of four LiCoO(2) twin crystals and to convert a highly anisotropic, layered material into a pseudo-3-dimensional, isotropic material.     

Polarized Absorption,Spontaneous and Stimulated Blue Light Emission of J‐type Tetraphenylbutadiene Monocrystals

Blue amplified spontaneous emission at room temperature is demonstrated from the exposed face of the strongly emitting organic semiconductor 1,1,4,4‐tetraphenyl‐1,3‐butadiene in single crystal form. The symmetry of the crystal and calculation of lattice sums indicate the J‐type organization of the molecular transition moments. The minimum in the lowest exciton dispersion branch, from which emission takes place, is found at the edge of the Brillouin zone leading to a dominant vibronic emission since the zero‐phonon line is forbidden. The observed gain narrowed line is attributed to the vibronic replica which becomes amplified with increased pumping. The reported emission is along the normal to the exposed crystal face, important for the development of vertical cavity geometry lasers based on organic single crystals. The threshold excitation fluence of 400 μJ cm^?2 is comparable to other organic crystalline systems, even if the amplification path is much reduced as a consequence of the vertical geometry. Considering these relevant aspects, the optical characterization of this material is provided. The polarized absorption spectra are reported and the properties of the lowest‐energy excitonic state investigated. Calculation of the electronic transitions for the isolated molecule, lattice sums for the transition at lowest energy, and the symmetry of the crystal allow attributing the largest face of the samples and the observed optical bands in the spectra. Polarized time‐resolved spectra are also reported allowing to identify the intrinsic excitonic emission.     

Crystal structure and morphology of phenyl‐capped tetraaniline in the leucoemeraldine oxidation state

A series of crystals of phenyl‐capped tetraaniline in the leucoemeraldine oxidation state were obtained at different isothermal temperatures and were observed directly under transmission electron microscope. The crystals obtained at higher temperatures exhibit more perfect structures than those obtained at lower temperatures. Both the lamella thickness and the crystal size increase with crystallization temperature. The tetraaniline is apt to form larger scale crystals under lower degree of supercooling. However, their crystal structures keep steady with the crystallization temperature. The tetramer was found to adopt a monoclinic lattice with unit cell parameter of a = 13.93 Å, b = 8.82 Å, c = 23.20 Å, and β = 95.03°, as determined using electron diffraction tilting method combined with wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction experiment. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 764–769, 2006     

Study of crystallization kinetics of trans-1,4-polyisoprene

The concentrations and the growth rates of high- and low-melting type spherulites of trans-1,4-polyisoprene were measured in the temperature range 39–49°C. It was shown that above about 40°C., the crystallization rate of trans-1,4-polyisoprene is determined primarily by the radial growth rate of high-melting form (HMF) spherulites, whereas the predominance of the low-melting form (LMF) crystals below 40°C. can be attributed to the high rate of formation of LMF primary nuclei at lower crystallization temperatures. Temperature-independent rate parameters were calculated from optical and dilatometric measurements and were found to be in good agreement. Both the change in nucleation habit and spherulite growth rate with temperature can be explained on the basis of a lower end surface free energy of LMF crystals of trans-1,4-polyisoprene compared to that of the HMF crystals.     

Terephthalamide-nylon single crystals isolated from dilute solutions of hexafluoro-2,2-propandiol

Terephthalamide nylons with two to five carbon atoms in the aliphatic portion of the chain have been crystallized from aqueous solutions of hexafluoro-2,2-propandiol. The 3T and 4T nylons in particular form rodlike crystals. Indications are that these are bundles of cylindrical structures about 50 nm in diameter. Electron diffraction shows the symmetry to be C_2v. Films of the nylons were drawn with great difficulty. The x-ray diffraction on the films is consistent with a monoclinic structure, though the crystal structure could not be positively established. There is some evidence for a polymer chain alignment perpendicular to the long axis of the rods.     

铅基复合钙钛矿型弛豫铁电单晶的生长基元与生长机理1: PMNT单晶的表面形貌 、负晶结构及生长基元的组装与拆分

铅基复合钙钛矿型弛豫铁电单晶体PMNT的生长基元为多种[BO~6]配位八面体,晶体生长过程可视为多种八面体基元与Pb^2^+的组装过程。这些生长基元向{111}面叠合时易采取法向生长机制,向{001}面叠合时易采取层状生长机制,由此决定了晶体生长速度的各向异性与晶体的形貌。Bridgman法生长的PMNT晶体在生长过程中由内向生长机制形成规则的负晶结构;在晶体生长过程中,在其自然表面上可形成正形与负形两种形貌;在高温退火过程中,由于PbO的分解,晶体表面上可形成类似"蚀象"的构型,这些可从[BO~6]八面体生长基元的组装或拆分方面获得解释。     

铅基复合钙钛矿型弛豫铁电单晶的生长基元与生长机理Ⅰ.PMNT单晶的表面形貌、负晶结构及生长基元的组装与拆分

铅基复合钙钛矿型弛豫铁电单晶体PMNT的生长基元为多种[BO_6]配位八面体,晶体生长过程可视为多种八面体基元与Pb~(2 )的组装过程.这些生长基元向{111}面叠合时易采取法向生长机制,向{001}面叠合时易采取层状生长机制,由此决定了晶体生长速度的各向异性与晶体的形貌.Bridgman法生长的PMNT晶体在生长过程中由内向生长机制形成规则的负晶结构;在晶体生长过程中,在其自然表面上可形成正形与负形两种形貌;在高温退火过程中,由于PbO的分解,晶体表面上可形成类似“蚀象”的构型,这些可从[BO_6]八面体生长基元的组装或拆分方面获得解释.     

Mometasone furoate revisited,or how did the hydrate get in the bottle?

The redetermined structure of 9α,21‐dichloro‐11β,17α‐dihydroxy‐16α‐methyl‐3,20‐dioxopregna‐1,4‐dien‐17‐yl furan‐2‐carboxylate monohydrate, C₂₇H₃₂Cl₂O₇·H₂O, at 100 K has triclinic (P1) symmetry. The structure displays O—H...O hydrogen bonding, which gives rise to infinite sheets extending parallel to the [110] plane. The previously published structure [Chen et al. (2005). J. Pharm. Sci. 94 , 2496–2509] was determined at room temperature and no significant anomalous signal was present. Data for the structure presented in this study were collected at low temperature and the absolute configuration could be established based solely on anomalous diffraction. Another point of interest is that the structure determined in this study is that of the monohydrate, even though the crystal was harvested from a bottle of nasal spray that was supposed to contain exclusively crystals of the anhydrous form.     

Preparation and characterization of a bis thiourea sodium iodide (BTSI)

A semi-organic nonlinear optical single crystal of bis thiourea sodium iodide (BTSI) has been successfully grown from aqueous solution using the slow evaporation solvent technique (SEST) at room temperature. Obtained crystals using the SEST method were characterized by using different characterization techniques. Structural studies of the grown crystals have been carried out by single-crystal XRD to confirm the crystal system and functional groups by FT-IR spectroscopy. Single-crystal XRD reveals orthorhombic structure of semi-organic BTSI single crystals and its unit cell parameters. Metal complex coordination of the single crystal is studied by FT-IR spectroscopy. The optical absorption study revealed excellent optical transparency of BTSI crystal in the entire visible region with a sharp lower cutoff wavelength 298 nm. The energy band gap of BTSI is found to be 4.16 eV. Thermal stability and thermal decomposition of BTSI single crystals were investigated by TGA–DTA and DSC analysis. The surface appearance of BTSI crystals by scanning electron microscopy reveals the formation of layer growth pattern. The structural perfection and growth features of the grown crystal were analyzed by wet chemical etching studies. The above studies reveal the effect of incorporation of sodium iodide into the lattice of thiourea crystals. The as-grown BTSI single crystals can be used as a potential candidate for NLO material as well as in electronic and optoelectronic devices.     

The Story Behind the Link between Molecular Chirality and Crystal Shape

Here we describe the story behind the link between molecular chirality and macroscopic phenomena, the latter being a probe for the direct assignment of absolute configuration of chiral molecules. First, a brief tour of the history of molecular stereochemistry, starting with the classic experiment reported by Pasteur in 1848 on the separation of enantiomorphous crystals of a salt of tartaric acid, and his conclusion that the molecules of life are chiral of single-handedness. With time, this study raised, inter alia, two fundamental questions: the absolute configuration of chiral molecules and how a molecule of given configuration shapes the enantiomorphous morphology of its crystal. As for the first question, following the beginning of crystal structure determination by X-ray diffraction in 1912, it took almost 40 years before Bijvoet assigned molecular chirality through the esoteric method involving anomalous X-ray scattering. We have been able to address and link both questions through ‘everyday concepts of left and right’ (in the words of Jack Dunitz) by the use of ‘tailor-made’ auxiliaries. By such means, it proved possible to reveal, through morphology, etch patterns, epitaxy and symmetry reduction of both chiral and, paradoxically, centrosymmetric crystals, the basic chiral symmetry of the molecules of life, the α-amino acids and sugars.     

Effect of polymorphism on the C?H stretching region of the infrared spectrum of polyethylene

A complex fine structure in the C? H stretching region of the infrared spectrum of deformed polyethylene single crystals is reported. The deformed crystals are shown to be transformed from the orthorhombic crystal form to a monoclinic structure. The previously deduced C_2/m monoclinic structure does not account for the appearance of the new bands. An alternative but similar monoclinic structure is proposed. The symmetry of this structure is consistent with the Fermi resonance interactions required for the observation of these bands.     

Crystalline lanthanum hydroxycarbonates with controlled phases and varied morphologies prepared on non-crystalline substrates

Lanthanum hydroxycarbonate crystals with controlled phases and varied morphologies were prepared on the surface of a non-crystalline substrate, glass. The phases and morphologies of the crystals were controlled conveniently by varying the reaction temperature and the quantity of starting materials. Orthorhombic crystals were obtained at 160 °C, distributed individually on the substrate and had a flaky rhombic shape. Hexagonal crystals were obtained at 180 °C. The crystals had a rhomboidal shape, were uniform and continuous enough to form a solid film on the substrate. The substrates were corroded under the hydrothermal conditions and offered a coarse surface for the crystal growth. The hexagonal lanthanum hydroxycarbonate was discovered to show significant second harmonic generation, which would be of interest for developing novel optical materials.     

Nonlinear Optical BBO Crystals: Growth, Properties and Applications

1　 INTRODUCTIONLow temperature phase barium metaborateβ- Ba B2 O4 ( BBO) as a new nonlinearoptical material was firstdiscovered in 1 979by Chen's group of the Fujian Instituteof Research on the Structure of Matter,People's Republic of China〔1〕.BBO has anumber ofexcellentpropertiessuch aslarge effective SHG coefficients,large birefrin-gence,wide transparent spectral range,high damage threshold and good machnicaland chemical properties.Particularly attractive feature is its UV t…     

Crystal structures of alkaloid peganine and its cocrystal with peganol

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is used to investigate the crystal structures of the alkaloid peganine, its hemihydrate and nitrate. It is shown that (±)-peganine forms a cocrystal with the alkaloid peganol. It is typical of the alkaloid (−)-peganine crystal structures to form a closed dimer pair because of reciprocal O-H⋯N1 hydrogen bonds. Analogous H-bonds are also observed in the (±)-peganine-(±)-peganol cocrystal, where the center of symmetry binds together similar molecules to form associates. In (±)-peganine nitrate crystals, the NH⁺ and OH groups of the alkaloid form H-bonds simultaneously with two oxygen atoms of nitric acid anions.     

Polarimetric imaging of crystals

Classical crystal optics has recently undergone a renaissance as developments in optical microscopy and polarimetry, enabled in part by sensitive imaging CCD cameras and personal computers, now permit the analytical separation of various optical effects that are otherwise convolved in polarized light micrographs. In this tutorial review, we review recent developments in the measurement of the principal crystallo-optical quantities including linear birefringence, linear dichroism, circular birefringence, and circular dichroism, as well as new effects in crystal optics encountered in unusual mixed crystals. The new microscopies and polarimetries are applied to problems of crystallographic twinning, phase transformations, stress birefringence, symmetry reduction, and the design of new crystalline materials.