Nucleation rate determination by a concentration pulse technique: application on ferritin crystals to show the effect of surface treatment of a substrate.
The nucleation of horse spleen ferritin (HSF) crystals on substrates was investigated using a new modification of the double pulse technique. The influence of three different structureless substrates (glass, glass covered by methyl groups and poly-L-lysin template) on the nucleation was studied. The boundaries in the phase-diagram, which separate zones of crystal nucleation and growth were obtained by keeping pH = 5.0, and using CdSO(4) as crystallizing agent. The steady-state nucleation rates were determined. The energy required for critical nuclei formation was evaluated (10(-13) erg) and the sizes of critical nuclei were found (5 and 2 molecules).
D000818:Animals; D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005293:Ferritins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005898:Glass; D006736:Horses; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011107:Polylysine; D013431:Sulfates; D013499:Surface Properties
D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D013431:Sulfates; D011107:Polylysine; D005293:Ferritins; C037123:cadmium sulfate