title: Improving marginal crystals.
abstract: The physical chemistry of crystal growth can help to identify directions in which to look for improved crystal properties. In this chapter, we summarize how crystal growth depends on parameters that can be controlled experimentally, and relate them to the tools available for optimizing a particular crystal form for crystal shape, volume, and diffraction quality. Our purpose is to sketch the conceptual basis of optimization and to provide sample protocols derived from those foundations. We hope to assist even those who chose not to use systematic methods by enabling them to carry out rudimentary optimization searches armed with a better understanding of how the underlying physical chemistry operates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riès-Kautt
mesh_terms: D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances