CrystEngComm Blog

Glass ceramics are remarkable materials and as their name suggests, they exhibit properties of both glasses and ceramics. An interesting and well known example of a glass ceramic is the lithium, silicon and aluminium-oxide material which provides the almost unbreakable tops to our electric hobs as well as protection for deep space mirrors.

An SEM micrograph of the polished cross-section of a sample annealed for 20h

This isn’t the only glass ceramic system nor is the low (or even zero) coefficient of thermal expansion the only interesting property these materials have. Glass ceramics containing crystals of the fresnoite type possess interesting piezoelectric, pyroelectric and surface acoustic properties. This Hot Article from Wolfgang Wisniewski, Marek Patschger and Christian Russel reports the Sr-fresnoite surface crystallisation in a 2SrO·TiO₂·2.75 SiO₂ glass and is a great example of modern functionality driven research.

lFind out more about the teams discoveries by downloading their article below for free

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Sr-fresnoite surface crystallisation in a 2SrO•TiO₂•2.75 SiO₂ glass studied by EBSD
Wolfgang Wisniewski, Marek Patschger and Christian Rüssel
CrystEngComm, 2012, Advance Article

Other articles which may also be of interest include:

Composition and texture of barium silicate crystals in fresnoite glass-ceramics by various scanning electron microscopic techniques
Marcus Nagel, Wolfgang Wisniewski, Günter Völksch, Christian Borschel, Carsten Ronning and Christian Rüssel
CrystEngComm, 2011, 13, 3383-3389

Crystallisation of iron containing glass–ceramics and the transformation of hematite to magnetite
Wolfgang Wisniewski, Ruzha Harizanova, Günter Völksch and Christian Rüssel
CrystEngComm, 2011, 13, 4025-4031

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SEM images of the as-synthesized ZnS nanowire bundles

Researchers from China have recently described the controlled synthesis of ZnS nanowire bundles and nanorod arrays though directly etching zinc wafer at mild temperature. Unique yellow photoluminescence emissions of the as-obtained ZnS nanostructures were observed. The as-synthesized ZnS nanorod arrays possess good superhydrophobicity making the nanostructures  excellent candidates for optics and biomimetics.

Read more about these interesting nanostructures at:

Self assembly of shape-controlled ZnS nanostructures with novel yellow light photoluminescence and excellent hydrophobic properties
Weina Jia, Boxiang Jia, Xiang Wu and Fengyu Qu
CrystEngComm, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2CE25144B

Shearing, bending or brittle?

C. Malla Reddy and colleagues study polymorphic forms of 6-chloro-2,4-dinitroaniline to demonstrate a direct relationship between mechanical properties, crystal structure and tableting behaviour in this HOT CrystEngComm communication.  Understanding the structure-property relationships ocurring in pharmaceuticals and using this knowledge to eliminate inferior active pharmaceutical ingredient properties could play an important role in reducing formulation and manufacturing costs in the industry.

Why not take a look, they will be free to read for 4 weeks.

Direct correlation among crystal structure, mechanical behaviour and tabletability in a trimorphic molecular compound
Partha Pratim Bag,  Miles Chen,  Changquan Calvin Sun and C. Malla Reddy
CrystEngComm, 2012
DOI: 10.1039/C2CE25100K

CrystEngComm, 2012, 14, 2335-2596

You may also be interested in taking a look at our recent themed issue on Crystal engineering and crystallography in the pharmaceutical industry.

Remember you can keep up to date with all the latest news in crystal engineering by liking us on facebook, following us on twitter or signing up to our e-alert service.

Arrangement of the heterorings

Thiometalates have been increasingly under the spotlight in recent years due to their attractive properties such as tuneable band gaps, photoconductivity and magnetic properties. In this HOT article, Bensch et al. describe a new synthetic strategy which employs a Ni²⁺ complex as a structure-directing molecule to form a novel 3D thioantimonate(III) with a new network topology. The synthetic route should be applicable for the generation of other thiometalates with new networks and topologies.

Read more for FREE for 4 weeks at:

Using a Ni²⁺ complex as a structure-directing molecule: solvothermal synthesis and properties of [Ni(en)(tren)]₄Sb₁₄S₂₅ featuring an unprecedented three-dimensional network architecture
Beatrix Seidlhofer, Christian Näther and Wolfgang Bensch
CrystEngComm, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2CE25141H

Also of interest:

Antimonato polyoxovanadates with structure directing transition metal complexes: pseudopolymorphic {Ni(dien)₂}₃[V₁₅Sb₆O₄₂(H₂O)]·nH₂O compounds and {Ni(dien)₂}₄[V₁₆Sb₄O₄₂(H₂O)]
Elena Antonova, Christian Näther and Wolfgang Bensch
Dalton Trans., 2012, 41, 1338-1344
DOI: 10.1039/C1DT11635E, Paper

Remember you can keep up to date with all the latest news in crystal engineering by liking us on facebook, following us on twitter or signing up to our e-alert service.

Lately it seems that nanoputian research hasn’t been particularly hot in the world of organic chemistry, however in crystal engineering the controlled morphological design of nanocrystals has arguably never been hotter. In the fields of biomedicine, optics and electronics the potential application of a variety of nanomaterials has sparked interest around the world, with nanotechnology potentially revolutionising science, technology, engineering and medicine.

A sample of FESEM images of the interesting nanocrystal morphologies created by the research team – check out the paper for more details!

The fundamental properties of any nanomaterial are ultimately determined by particle size and shape, so for every potential application it is crucial that morphology is carefully controlled so the materials possess the desired properties. This Hot Article from Wei Zhong et al. details the team’s investigations into a one-step evaporation process to produce a huge range of nanocrystal morphologies, including nanowires, nanoswords, nanobelts, nanocombs and branched nanorods. To find out how the team achieved this, download their article now, which is free to access for 4 weeks!

Design, growth, and characterization of morphology-tunable Cd_xZn_1−xS nanostructures generated by a one-step thermal evaporation process
Zai-Xing Yang, Peng Zhang, Wei Zhong, Yu Deng, Chak-Tong Au and You-Wei Du

Interested in nanocrystals? You can also download these great articles which are also free to access!

Highly active Zn_xCd_1−xS photocatalysts containing earth abundant elements only for H2 production from water under visible light
Yabo Wang ,  Jianchun Wu ,  Jianwei Zheng and Rong Xu
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011,1, 940-947
DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00143D

Nanostructured Titania: the current and future promise of Titania nanotubes
Kevin C. Schwartzenberg and Kimberly A. Gray
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2CY00538G