Controlling Crystal Habit with Tailored Organic Growth Modifiers

摘要

Developing novel and reliable methods of controlling crystal habit is relevant to applications in areas such as pharmaceuticals and materials, and plays an integral role in physiologically-relevant processes (e.g., biomineralization). A common method of tailoring the anisotropic rates of crystal growth is the use of growth modifiers, which are additives (i.e. ions, molecules, and/or macromolecules) with specificity for binding to crystal surfaces and reducing the rate of growth in distinct crystallographic directions [1]. Here we will discuss the effects of organic modifiers on the growth of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals, which are the primary constituent of human kidney stones. The incidence rate of renal stones is on the rise, yet there has been little improvement in their therapeutic treatments over the past 30 years [2].