Quantum mechanics

Supersaturation

Engineering

Chemical physics

Statistics

Materials science

Chromatography

Scattering

Crystal structure

Biochemistry

Chemical engineering

Phenomenon

Light scattering

Physical chemistry

Thermodynamics

Laser

Physics

Organic chemistry

Diffusion

Mathematics

Optics

Tetragonal crystal system

Aqueous solution

Crystal growth

Analytical Chemistry (journal)

Cluster analysis

Crystallography

Chemistry

Lysozyme

Journal of Crystal Growth

To analyse the clustering phenomenon, the diffusion coefficient in and the viscosity of the bulk supersaturated solutions were measured using quasi-elastic light scattering, and the concentration gradient in the diffusion boundary layer around a growing crystal interface was measured by means of Mach-Zehnder interferometry. The results obtained in case of tetragonal lysozyme crystals have demonstrated that (1) the solute particle size determined from values of both the diffusion coefficient and the viscocity indicated the presence of the solute clustering in the bulk supersaturated solutions, but (2) the major growth units controlling the growth rate were monomolecular entities. The growth kinetics for tetragonal lysozyme crystals were also analysed, based on the surface microtopographic observations, and it was shown that the growth was principally controlled by the surface kinetic process.

Clustering phenomenon and growth units in lysozyme aqueous solution as revealed by laser light scattering method