Crystal Research and Technology
Cryst. Res. Technol. 43, 496 (2008) - Abstract -

Understanding the growth mechanism of CuI crystals during gel growth experiments

Pan Gao, Mu Gu, and Xiao Lin-Liu

Laboratory of Waves and Microstructure Materials, Pohl Institute of Solid State Physics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China

Keywords morphology variety, growth mechanism, CuI, crystal growth
PACS 81.10.Aj
DOI 10.1002/crat.200711120

Cuprous iodide crystals have been grown with decomplexation method in silica gel. Various crystal morphologies, such as polycrystalline aggregate, skeletal, dendrite, hopper crystals and regular tetrahedron crystals, were observed in different growth regions with an optical microscope. Their surfaces were photographed using a binocular metallographic microscope and the results were explained with the crystal growth mechanism which was determined by supersaturation. These observations support the general hypothesis that the concentration of reactant affects the relative growth rate by controlling the nucleation and diffusion. The mutual influence of the crystals grown in different regions was also discussed. Additionally, the suitable condition for getting regular tetrahedron crystals or large hopper crystals was obtained by changing the concentration of CuI.HI complex in the later period of crystal growth.





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