Use of In Situ Atomic Force Microscopy to Follow Phase Changes at Crystal Surfaces in Real Time

摘要

Atomic force microscopy can be used to identify and observe phase changes at crystal surfaces where the transformation is accompanied by a change in the spacing between layers of molecules. The conversion of a metastable polymorph of the caffeine-glutaric acid cocrystal to the thermodynamically stable form was analyzed continuously in situ using intermittent contact-mode atomic force microscopy (IC-AFM), allowing the mechanism by which molecules move during the transformation to be determined.