Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials最新文献

{"title":"Chronological evaluation of the synthesis techniques of nanocrystalline Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 soft magnetic alloy","authors":"Mohammad Nur-E-Alam ,&nbsp;Arvil Bhattacharjee ,&nbsp;Deba Prasad Paul ,&nbsp;M.A. Hakim ,&nbsp;Mohammad Aminul Islam ,&nbsp;Tiong S. Kiong ,&nbsp;Nowshad Amin ,&nbsp;Mohammad Rashed Iqbal Faruque ,&nbsp;Mayeen Uddin Khandaker","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2023.100601","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2023.100601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this review article, we focus on the synthesis process and properties of Fe-Si-B-based soft magnetic alloys<span><span><span> that exhibit superior magnetic properties. The process parameters related to the synthesis and characterization of these types of alloys are studied widely and investigated the properties observed in </span>nanocrystalline Cu and Nb-dopped Fe-Si-B-based magnetic alloys. The properties of these materials are an exceptional combination of high permeability, high </span>Curie temperature<span>, low core losses and anisotropy energy, and near zero effective magnetostriction suitable for various applications such as magnetic field sensors, sensors for non-destructive evaluation of materials, motors, transformer cores, electric vehicles, etc. A significant number of research works have been conducted so far and more research is continued to improve their properties in various ways including engineering of materials composition, optimization of synthesis processes, and parameters for easy integration into modern devices. This review article aims to demonstrate a comparison study of the properties of Fe-Si-B- based soft magnetic alloys and to provide the latest updates on their developments toward tailoring the extrinsic (coercivity, and permeability) and intrinsic (Curie temperature and saturation magnetization) properties for conquering the subsequent area of applications.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"69 2","pages":"Article 100601"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24849393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Silica-carbonate biomorphs of alkaline earth metals: Relationship with minerals since the Precambrian era","authors":"Marcelino Antonio Zúñiga-Estrada,&nbsp;Erick Alfredo Zúñiga-Estrada,&nbsp;Mayra Cuéllar-Cruz","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2023.100594","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2023.100594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Under alkaline conditions, silica forms self-assembled mineral compounds which are similar in morphology, nanostructure, and texture to the hybrid biomineral structures that, millions of years ago gave to life. In this review we propose that, during the earliest history of this planet, there was a geochemical scenario that led to large-scale production of both simple and complex organic compounds, many of which were important for prebiotic chemistry. The production was based on a high concentration of silica and high pH. Two main factors affected this process: a) a source of simple carbon molecules that were either synthesized abiotically from reactions associated with serpentinization, or carried by meteorites and produced by their impact on Earth, and b) the formation of self-organized silica-metal mineral compounds that catalyzed the condensation of single molecules in a reduced methane-rich atmosphere. We discuss the plausibility of this geochemical scenario and its catalytic properties and the transition towards a slightly alkaline to Neutral Ocean.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"69 1","pages":"Article 100594"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"1559677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Macrosteps dynamics and the growth of crystals and epitaxial layers","authors":"Stanislaw Krukowski,&nbsp;Konrad Sakowski,&nbsp;Paweł Strak,&nbsp;Paweł Kempisty,&nbsp;Jacek Piechota,&nbsp;Izabella Grzegory","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100581","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Step pattern stability of the vicinal surfaces during growth was analyzed using various surface kinetics models. It was shown that standard analysis of the vicinal surfaces provides no indication on the possible step coalescence and therefore could not be used to elucidate macrostep creation during growth. A scenario of the instability, leading go macrostep creation, was based on the dynamics of the step train, i.e. the step structure consisting of the high (train) and low (inter-train) density of the steps. The critical is step motion at the rear of the train which potentially leads to the step coalescence i.e. creation of the double and multiple step. The result of the analysis shows that the decisive factor for the step coalescence is the step density ratio in and out of the train. The ratio lower than 2 prevents double step formation irrespective of the kinetics. For higher ratio the coalesce depends on step kinetics: fast incorporation from lower terrace stabilizes the single steps, fast incorporation from upper leads to step coalescence. The double step is slower than the single steps, so the single steps behind catch up creating multistep and finally macrostep structure. The final surface structure consists of the macrosteps and superterraces, i.e. relatively flat vicinal segments. The macrostep alimentation from lower superterrace leads to emission of the single steps which move forward. Thus the single step motion is dominant crystal growth mode in the presence of the macrosteps. These steps finally are absorbed by the next macrostep. The absorption and emission of single steps sustain the macrostep existence, i.e. the macrostep fate is determined the single step dynamics. The condition for single step emission was derived. In addition, the macrosteps are prone to creation of the overhangs which results from surface dynamics coupling to impingement from the mother phase. The angular preferential access of the bulk material to the macrostep edge, leads to the overhang instability and creation of inclusions and dislocations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"68 4","pages":"Article 100581"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"2578950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances on potential-driven growth of metal crystals from ionic liquids","authors":"Md. Mominul Islam,&nbsp;Saika Ahmed,&nbsp;Muhammed Shah Miran,&nbsp;Md. Abu Bin Hasan Susan","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100580","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100580","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>This article highlights the electrodeposition of metals, in crystalline or </span>amorphous<span><span> form, that are monentous in the present era of science and technology. Available literature related to nucleation and growth of metal crystals has been reviewed to gain insight into the mechanism and kinetics. The progress made in the </span>electrodeposition<span><span> technique, using an ionic liquid (IL) medium, has been detailed for selected metals using different ILs for achieving the controlled growth mechanism driven by </span>electrochemical potential. Theoretical models for nucleation and growth of crystals by electrodeposition have been explained and the effect of crystallization overpotential on the growth of crystal growth has been discussed. Finally, the factors affecting the growth process and the mechanism have been identified and critically analyzed based on the available literature, fundamental knowledge-base, chemistry of ILs, and electrodeposition.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"68 4","pages":"Article 100580"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"3081422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Theoretical and Practical Studies on Effects of External Electrostatic Electric Field on Nucleation and Growth Kinetics of Protein Crystals","authors":"Haruhiko Koizumi ,&nbsp;Satoshi Uda","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100568","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The crystallization technique where an electric field is applied is an extremely powerful tool to control the crystallization processes of various materials. In particular, the method with application of an external electrostatic electric field can have a significant effect on the phase equilibrium of the liquid and solid phases. This review demonstrates that the crystallization processes of proteins are significantly impacted by the application of an external electrostatic electric field: (1) Control of both the increase and decrease in the nucleation rate can be achieved by changing the applied frequency of the external electrostatic electric field. (2) The effect of the external electrostatic electric field on the nucleation rate can be controlled by regulating the thickness of the electric double layer (EDL) formed at the interface. (3) The quality of the grown crystals can be improved by an increase in the step free energy under application of an external electrostatic electric field at 1 MHz. The effect of the external electrostatic electric field on nucleation and growth kinetics during crystal growth of proteins is also discussed based on a thermodynamic perspective.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"68 3","pages":"Article 100568"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"1559678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal stress relaxation phenomenon through forming the interstitial region in CZ silicon pulled with rapid and slow cooling heat shields","authors":"Takao Abe","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100579","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100579","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;This review article aims to clarify a mechanism of point defects formation in a CZ Si crystal through an experimental arrangement using the two kinds of heat shields with different slow-pulling periods. Point defects in a melt grown &lt;/span&gt;silicon&lt;span&gt; crystal have been studied for a long time. The author and his co-researchers have reported about “Mechanism for generating interstitial atoms by thermal stress during silicon crystal growth” [in Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;66&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; (2019) 36-46]. The experimental arrangement includes constant growing, changing pulling rate and finally detaching crystals from the melt. The two types of heat shields were used to change the cooling history of the grown crystals, for changing a temperature gradient at a bulk part in the grown crystal, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;em&gt;G&lt;/em&gt;&lt;sub&gt;b&lt;/sub&gt;. In order to prove that the formation of an interstitial region or a boundary of vacancies (Vs)/interstitials (Is) in a silicon crystal is a phenomenon of relaxing thermal stress, the author explains that a &lt;em&gt;G&lt;/em&gt;&lt;sub&gt;b&lt;/sub&gt; in a crystal forms thermal stress and causes some silicon atoms at lattice positions to move to the closest interstitial sites to relax the stress. The author defines a new term of metastable interstitial atom, I’, or I's as the plural of I’. The I’ coexists with the metastable vacancy V’ from where the I’ is displaced. The plural of V’ is defined to be V's. The author defines the above state to be a complex (I’+ V’), or (I ’+ V’)s as the plural of (I’+ V’), and explains that the (I’+ V’) s convert to Is and form the Is region. The (I’+ V’) is considered as the Frenkel pair-like complex.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The crystals were firstly pulled with a high pulling rate, and the pulling rate was consequently decreased to a slow one. Then the crystals were pulled with the slow constant pulling rate for different periods making different cooling processes. Finally, the grown crystals were detached from the melt and cooled rapidly. Characterization of defects, such as Vs, Is, and defect-free (D-F) regions were identified in X-ray topographs (XAOP(s)). Wafer lifetime mapping (WLTM(s)) allows confirming dislocation loop (DL) regions. The results show that the Is are generated depending on the pulling period of the slow pulling and the shapes of the heat shields. The Is and DL regions are formed in a region at temperatures near the melting point. The Is form an Is region through a defect-free (D-F) region, forming the Vs/Is boundary. When the thermal stress weakens, the DL region changes to the Is region; the Is region changes to the D-F region; and the D-F region changes to the Vs region. Temperature gradient distribution is induced toward various directions at different parts of the growing crystal depending on the different slow-pulling periods. The temperature gradient, &lt;em&gt;G&lt;/em&gt;&lt;sub&gt;b&lt;/sub&gt;, includes a temperature gradient from the cooled region shaded","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"68 3","pages":"Article 100579"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"3398756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Growth, structure, electrical and optical properties of transition metal chalcogenide crystals synthesized by improved chemical vapor transport technique for semiconductor technologies","authors":"Abhay Dasadia ,&nbsp;Vidhi Bhavsar","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span><span>Low dimensional structures, including bulk crystals, thin films<span>, nanowires and nanotubes<span>, have received remarkable attention due to their novel functionality and potential applications in various areas of optics<span>, electronics, photonics, and sensing devices and </span></span></span></span>photovoltaic<span> field. Recently, remarkable progress and modification have been achieved in the synthesis process of crystalline material by vapor transport technique. In this review, we introduce an improved concept of the closed tube Chemical Vapor Transport (CVT) technique for the single crystal growth of ZrSTe, TiSTe and TiSeTe. A modified reverse temperature profile has reported the growth of ZrSTe, TiSTe and TiSeTe results show the good crystalline quality of synthesized materials. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction data reveals all three samples have trigonal unit cell structure with a space group of P31. The Semiconducting behavior of grown crystals of ZrSTe, TiSTe and TiSeTe was verified by two probe resistivity measurements, </span></span>Hall Effect<span><span> measurements and optical absorption at room temperature in the spectral range of 200 nm - 2200 nm. In this review, we highlight the recent progress in the transition of metal </span>chalcogenides<span><span> for their advanced application in solar energy conversion<span>, thin-film electronics, optoelectronic devices and </span></span>quantum communication devices. Moreover, different experimental challenges within the described growth technique are probed. Additionally, a survey was done for the possible enhancement of Transition Metal Chalcogenide (TMC) crystalline materials grown by the Chemical Vapor Transport technique based on various growth parameters.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"68 3","pages":"Article 100578"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"1741704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the Vitality of the Classical Theory of Crystal Nucleation; Crystal Nucleation in Pure Own Melt; Atmospheric Ice and Snow; Ice in Frozen Foods","authors":"Christo N. Nanev","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100567","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100567","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The main reason for the longevity of the Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT) is its firm thermodynamic basis; reviewing the discussion about the molecular-scale mechanism of crystal nucleation from solutions, and especially the mechanism of protein crystal nucleation, we note that the diverse nucleation pathways across the metastable phase cannot contradict the thermodynamic conclusions of the CNT. In this review paper, revisiting the basic postulates of CNT, we argue that not only the energy barrier for crystal nucleation but the entire dependence of Gibbs’ thermodynamic potential on the crystal size is worth interpreting. In doing so, two supplementations to CNT have been elaborated. The first one concerns the theoretical method employing Equilibration between the Bond energy (i.e., the intra-crystalline cohesive energy which maintains the integrity of a crystalline cluster), and the surface Destructive Energy (tending to tear-up the crystal) - abbreviated EBDE. Second, we show that the dependence of the Gibbs’ thermodynamic potential on the crystal size determines not only the birth, but also the initial growth (or dissolution during Ostwald ripening) of the just born nuclei of the new phase; this is predicted in the negative branch of the said dependence. Initially, EBDE was used for explaining crystal nucleation from solutions, but most recently, this method was redefined for considering crystal nucleation in melts. The purposively redefined EBDE was applied for considering ice nucleation, which is an important case of spontaneous melt crystallization in nature - the quantitative consideration of the ice crystal nucleation is needed for better understanding of atmospheric processes, such as snowfall, white frost, sleet, hail, and ice fog. By focusing on the action of ice nucleating particles (INPs), which engender heterogeneous nucleation of ice, the snowfall is elucidated in a new way - ice nucleation in the atmosphere is considered as a two-step process, the first one being vapor &lt;/span&gt;condensation in liquid droplets, and the second one - water freezing. Also, ice nucleation in frozen foods is re-considered applying EBDE. (It is known that freezing ensures a high-quality product and long shelf life of a wide range of food products, such as fish, meat, vegetables, tropical fruits, coffee, flavor essence, etc.) And because numbers and sizes of ice crystals are decisive for the degree of deterioration of food quality due to freezing, the mean sizes of the ice crystals (which depend on their number) are considered in a quantitative manner. Also, another consideration concerns ice crystal nucleation and growth occurring by freeze concentration of liquid foods. Although aimed at reviewing fundamental aspects of crystal nucleation, it is to be hoped that some results of the considerations in this paper may also be beneficial for practical applications; suggestions in this respect are mentioned throughout the paper. For instance, the ","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"68 2","pages":"Article 100567"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2022-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"1559679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The formation of crystalline minerals and their role in the origin of life on Earth","authors":"Cesia D. Pérez-Aguilar,&nbsp;Mayra Cuéllar-Cruz","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100558","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>As known currently, in the formation of the Earth, minerals have played a pivotal role going from the formation of the hydrosphere<span>, the lithosphere, and all Earth components until the origin, evolution, and maintenance of life. The first signs of </span></span>magnetism<span><span> are found in komatiites. In the origin of life, minerals were responsible for concentrating, aligning, and acting as templates and catalyzers, allowing for the formation of bonds among the first biomolecules to form polymers, which eventually became assembled to give rise to the pioneer organism in the Precambrian. Besides, minerals allowed the DNA to be the information storing molecule, even though it was not the first biomolecule. Another function of minerals was to protect the organic complexes against </span>ultraviolet radiation<span><span> and hydrolysis, a fundamental action to preserve life in the Precambrian where high UV radiation prevailed. Minerals not only favored the origin of life but also became part of the organisms that inhabit the Earth, including species of the five kingdoms, comprising from microorganisms to higher organisms. How minerals participated in the origin of life still has unresolved questions, for which to understand the minerals’ participation since the formation of the Earth until becoming part of the structure of organisms from the five kingdoms, we reviewed the following topics, which will contribute to the understanding of the implication of minerals in the origin of our planet and life on it: i) the synthesis of the chemical elements from which the first mineral were obtained in the Earth, ii) the factor that favored the formation of minerals in the Earth, iii) the implication of minerals as the basis for the synthesis of the first biomolecule and, eventually, the pioneer organism, as well as the </span>biomineralization mechanism that has been proposed to account for the mineral part contained in the structure of the organisms from the different kingdoms, and iv) the models that allow emulating the mechanisms by which minerals participated in the synthesis of the first biomolecule; in this way, for example, the Precambrian microfossils are so simple morphologically (spheres, subspheres, and hemispheres) that they can easily be imitated by hollow mineral growths, known as biomorphs. Although these can interfere with the study of actual microfossils, they remain as key points for the study of the origin of life.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"68 1","pages":"Article 100558"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"1743839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A short overview on practical techniques for protein crystallization and a new approach using low intensity electromagnetic fields","authors":"Camila Campos-Escamilla ,&nbsp;Luis A. Gonzalez-Rámirez ,&nbsp;Fermín Otálora ,&nbsp;José Antonio Gavira ,&nbsp;Abel Moreno","doi":"10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100559","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This contribution deals with a practical overview of some popular and sophisticated crystallization methods that help increase the success rate of a crystallization project and introduces a newly developed method involving low intensity electromagnetic fields<span>. Aiming to suggest a methodology to follow, the present contribution is divided into two main parts in a logical order to get the best crystals for high resolution X-ray crystallographic analysis. The first part starts with a short review of the chemical and physical fundamentals of each crystallization method through different strategies based on physicochemical approaches. Then, practical non-conventional techniques for protein crystallization are presented, not only for growing protein crystals, but also for controlling the size and number of crystals. These include crystal growth in gels, counter-diffusion, seeding, and macromolecular imprinted polymers (MIPs). The second part shows the effects of coupling low intensity electric fields (in the scale of units of  μAmperes) with weak magnetic fields (in the scale of milli Tesla) applied to protein crystallization. This approach consists of a novel experimental set up, which was used to study the influence of the coupled fields on the crystallization of lysozyme<span> in solution and in gel media. This new approach is based on the classical theories of transport phenomena and offers a more accessible strategy to obtain suitable crystals for X-ray characterization or Neutron diffraction investigations.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":409,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials","volume":"68 1","pages":"Article 100559"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"2287240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}