Crystal nucleation and growth of spherulites demonstrated by coral skeletons and phase-field simulations

We apply molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate crystal nucleation in incompatible polymer blends under deep supercooling conditions. Simulations of isothermal nucleation are performed for phase-separated blends with different degrees of incompatibility. In weakly segregated blends, slow and incompatible chains in crystallizable polymer domains can significantly hinder the crystal nucleation and growth. When a crystallizable polymer is blended with a more mobile species in interfacial regions, enhanced molecular mobility leads to the fast growth of crystalline order. However, the incubation time remains the same as that in pure samples. By inducing anisotropic alignment near the interfaces of strongly segregated blends, phase separation also promotes crystalline order to grow near interfaces between different polymer domains.

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Phase-field simulation of nucleation and growth of M23C6 carbide and ferromagnetic phases during creep deformation in Type 304 steel

Journal of Nuclear Materials ◽

10.1016/j.jnucmat.2010.04.017 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 401 (1-3) ◽

pp. 154-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yuhki Tsukada ◽

Atsuhiro Shiraki ◽

Yoshinori Murata ◽

Shigeru Takaya ◽

Toshiyuki Koyama ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Creep Deformation ◽

Phase Field ◽

Nucleation And Growth ◽

M23c6 Carbide ◽

Phase Field Simulation ◽

Field Simulation ◽

Type 304

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Crystal nucleation and growth kinetics of NaF in photo-thermo-refractive glass

Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids ◽

10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2013.06.027 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 378 ◽

pp. 115-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

I. Dyamant ◽

A.S. Abyzov ◽

V.M. Fokin ◽

E.D. Zanotto ◽

J. Lumeau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Kinetics ◽

Nucleation And Growth ◽

Crystal Nucleation ◽

Kinetics Of

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Membrane-protein crystals for neutron diffraction

Acta Crystallographica Section D Structural Biology ◽

10.1107/s2059798318012561 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 74 (12) ◽

pp. 1208-1218 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Thomas Lykke-Møller Sørensen ◽

Samuel John Hjorth-Jensen ◽

Esko Oksanen ◽

Jacob Lauwring Andersen ◽

Claus Olesen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Membrane Proteins ◽

Neutron Diffraction ◽

Membrane Protein ◽

Neutron Source ◽

Nucleation And Growth ◽

Crystal Nucleation ◽

Protein Crystals ◽

Macromolecular Crystallography ◽

Transport Mechanisms ◽

Potential Impact

Neutron macromolecular crystallography (NMX) has the potential to provide the experimental input to address unresolved aspects of transport mechanisms and protonation in membrane proteins. However, despite this clear scientific motivation, the practical challenges of obtaining crystals that are large enough to make NMX feasible have so far been prohibitive. Here, the potential impact on feasibility of a more powerful neutron source is reviewed and a strategy for obtaining larger crystals is formulated, exemplified by the calcium-transporting ATPase SERCA1. The challenges encountered at the various steps in the process from crystal nucleation and growth to crystal mounting are explored, and it is demonstrated that NMX-compatible membrane-protein crystals can indeed be obtained.

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