Spherulitic and rotational crystal growth of Quartz thin films

To obtain crystalline thin films of alpha-Quartz represents a challenge due to the tendency for the material towards spherulitic growth. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that give rise to spherulitic growth can help regulate the growth process. Here the spherulitic type of 2D crystal growth in thin amorphous Quartz films was analyzed by electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). EBSD was used to measure the size, orientation, and rotation of crystallographic grains in polycrystalline SiO2 and GeO2 thin films with high spatial resolution. Individual spherulitic Quartz crystal colonies contain primary and secondary single crystal fibers, which grow radially from the colony center towards its edge, and fill a near circular crystalline area completely. During their growth, individual fibers form so-called rotational crystals, when some lattice planes are continuously bent. The directions of the lattice rotation axes in the fibers were determined by an enhanced analysis of EBSD data. A possible mechanism, including the generation of the particular type of dislocation(s), is suggested.

From poorly-ordered precursors to crystals: Factors contributing to spherulitic growth of dolomite

<p>Dolomite is one of the most abundant carbonate minerals in the geological record, yet it barely forms in the present. The contrast in the abundance of dolomite between geological and modern records combined with the impossibility of synthesizing stoichiometric dolomite in the laboratory at ambient conditions are known as the 'dolomite problem'. This enigma has been in the scope of research for decades, trying to understand dolomite formation, mechanisms and the contributing factors. Dolomite is known to form via two abiotic mechanisms; through (1) dolomitization or (2) dolomite cementation. Also, the contribution of microorganisms can result in biotic dolomite crystallization. The mechanisms of dolomite formation at the molecular and nanoscale in biotic and abiotic environments are relatively well-described, but we still struggle to develop a unified model of dolomite formation in modern and ancient settings. In this contribution, we summarize the development of research related to the dolomite formation processes and in particular the direct dolomite precipitation via spherulitic growth of proto-dolomite.</p>

Controlling the Isothermal Crystallization of Isodimorphic PBS-ran-PCL Random Copolymers by Varying Composition and Supercooling

In this work, we study for the first time, the isothermal crystallization behavior of isodimorphic random poly(butylene succinate)-ran-poly(ε-caprolactone) copolyesters, PBS-ran-PCL, previously synthesized by us. We perform nucleation and spherulitic growth kinetics by polarized light optical microscopy (PLOM) and overall isothermal crystallization kinetics by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Selected samples were also studied by real-time wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXS). Under isothermal conditions, only the PBS-rich phase or the PCL-rich phase could crystallize as long as the composition was away from the pseudo-eutectic point. In comparison with the parent homopolymers, as comonomer content increased, both PBS-rich and PCL-rich phases nucleated much faster, but their spherulitic growth rates were much slower. Therefore, the overall crystallization kinetics was a strong function of composition and supercooling. The only copolymer with the eutectic composition exhibited a remarkable behavior. By tuning the crystallization temperature, this copolyester could form either a single crystalline phase or both phases, with remarkably different thermal properties.