Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation
Crystallisation is at the heart of various scientific disciplines, but still the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying phase separation and the formation of the first solid particles in aqueous solution is rather limited. In this review, classical nucleation theory, as well as establi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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RSC Publishing
2014
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6133 |
| _version_ | 1848744989137305600 |
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| author | Gebauer, Denis Kellermeier, Matthias Gale, Julian Bergstrom, Lennart Colfen, Helmut |
| author_facet | Gebauer, Denis Kellermeier, Matthias Gale, Julian Bergstrom, Lennart Colfen, Helmut |
| author_sort | Gebauer, Denis |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Crystallisation is at the heart of various scientific disciplines, but still the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying phase separation and the formation of the first solid particles in aqueous solution is rather limited. In this review, classical nucleation theory, as well as established concepts of spinodal decomposition and liquid–liquid demixing, is introduced together with a description of the recently proposed pre-nucleation cluster pathway. The features of pre-nucleation clusters are presented and discussed in relation to recent modifications of the classical and established models for phase separation, together with a review of experimental work and computer simulations on the characteristics of pre-nucleation clusters of calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, iron(oxy)(hydr)oxide, silica, and also amino acids as an example of small organic molecules. The role of pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in the emergence of a new phase is summarized, and the link between the chemical speciation of homogeneous solutions and the process of phase separation via pre-nucleation clusters is highlighted. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:10:13Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-6133 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:10:13Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | RSC Publishing |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-61332017-09-13T15:54:29Z Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation Gebauer, Denis Kellermeier, Matthias Gale, Julian Bergstrom, Lennart Colfen, Helmut Crystallisation is at the heart of various scientific disciplines, but still the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying phase separation and the formation of the first solid particles in aqueous solution is rather limited. In this review, classical nucleation theory, as well as established concepts of spinodal decomposition and liquid–liquid demixing, is introduced together with a description of the recently proposed pre-nucleation cluster pathway. The features of pre-nucleation clusters are presented and discussed in relation to recent modifications of the classical and established models for phase separation, together with a review of experimental work and computer simulations on the characteristics of pre-nucleation clusters of calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, iron(oxy)(hydr)oxide, silica, and also amino acids as an example of small organic molecules. The role of pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in the emergence of a new phase is summarized, and the link between the chemical speciation of homogeneous solutions and the process of phase separation via pre-nucleation clusters is highlighted. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6133 10.1039/c3cs60451a RSC Publishing fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Gebauer, Denis Kellermeier, Matthias Gale, Julian Bergstrom, Lennart Colfen, Helmut Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation |
| title | Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation |
| title_full | Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation |
| title_fullStr | Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation |
| title_short | Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation |
| title_sort | pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6133 |