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Article

Evolution of Crystal Shape

Sagar B. Gadewar, Herbert M. Hofmann, and Michael F. Doherty*

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

Crystal Growth & Design, 2004, 4 (1), pp 109–112

DOI: 10.1021/cg034057j

Publication Date (Web): September 9, 2003

To whom correspondence should be addressed, 3323 Engineering II, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106. Telephone: (805) 893−5309. Fax: (805) 893−4731. E-mail: mfd@engineering.ucsb.edu.

Abstract

We have developed a mathematical model to track facets appearing and disappearing during the evolution of crystal shape. The model also gives the crystal shape at steady state that is consistent with the predictions from the Wulff-Chernov approach (Chernov, A. A. Sov. Phys. Crystallogr. 1963, 7, 728). We show that under constant growth rate conditions, the steady state shape of a crystal is unique, stable, and independent of the seed crystal shape. The predicted shape of solution grown succinic acid is shown to be in excellent agreement with experimentally grown shapes. This model explains the experimentally observed uniqueness of the steady-state shape of crystals with respect to the random seed shapes.

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