title: Polymer-induced alignment of DL-alanine nanocrystals to crystalline mesostructures.
abstract: Crystallization of DL-alanine by cooling of a supersaturated solution in the presence of a chiral double-hydrophilic block copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene imine)-S-isobutyric acid (PEG4700-PEI1200-S-iBAc) yields crystal superstructures with an astonishing morphology. Although analysis by light microscopy reveals these crystals to be apparently well facetted, electron microscopy shows that they consist of three-dimensionally, well-aligned nanocrystals that are scaffolded to a so-called mesocrystal. This mesocrystal is formed by polymer-mediated structuration, and provides evidence for the importance of mesoscopic events in a typical crystallization process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Technical University of Dresden, Mommsenstrasse 13, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wohlrab
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonietti
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cölfen