Collection of artificially grown crystals

This collection of crystals has been selected by the IUCr Commission on Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials as examples of high-quality crystals grown artificially. If you would like to add your examples, please use the submission form.

The first set of images is selected at random from the complete collection. Use the options below these pictures to search or browse further. 

emerald These emerald crystals were grown from lithium molybdate melt. Emerald is a cyclosilicate having the composition Al2Be3[Si6O18]:Cr where doping with chromium is responsible for the green colour.

 

Miguel Gregorkiewitz

Cadmium Sulphide as-grown crystal of cadmium sulphide

 

Giovanni Attolini

Mn-doped enstatite Optical image of reddish crystals of Mn-doped enstatite

 

Manuela

muf-7a Growing beautiful crystals like these is one of the joys of doing chemistry. These perfect specimens take the shape of a truncated rhombic dodecahedron. They are from a class of materials known as metal-organic frameworks, and they spontaneously grow from zinc metal ions and organic ligands. Although imperceptible at this scale, X-ray crystallography shows us that they have a sponge-like structure with large pores and voids. In fact, the internal surface area of a gram of these crystals is equivalent to an entire football field! These materials are being investigated for their ability to store gases such as hydrogen for powering next-generation vehicles. These photos were taken with a conventional optical microscope.

 

Lujia Liu

potassium dihydrogenphosphate Crystals of potassium dihydrogenphosphate (KDP) grown in the presence of the red dye amaranth. KDP crystals have oriented and overgrown organic chromophores in {101} growth sectors. The dyeing is controlled by the specificity of noncovalent interactions between the colored molecules and the growing crystal interfaces.

 

Bart Kahr - Massimo Moret

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