title: Strong dc electric field applied to supersaturated aqueous glycine solution induces nucleation of the gamma polymorph.
abstract: Applying a strong static electric field to supersaturated aqueous glycine solutions resulted in the nucleation of the gamma polymorph. This is the first report of a strong dc field inducing the nucleation of a neutral solute in a supersaturated solution. We attribute this effect to the electric-field-induced orientation of the highly polar glycine molecules in large preexisting solute clusters, helping them organize into a crystalline structure. This result also lends further support to our proposed optical-Kerr mechanism for nonphotochemical laser-induced nucleation.
authors.affiliation: Othmer Department of Chemical & Biological Sciences & Engineering, Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, New York 11021, USA.
authors.forename: Janice E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Aber
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Garetz
authors.forename: Allan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Myerson
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005998:Glycine / Q000737:chemistry*; D010592:Pharmaceutic Aids / Q000737:chemistry; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010592:Pharmaceutic Aids; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D005998:Glycine