title: In situ imaging of on-surface, solvent-free molecular single-crystal growth.
abstract: The formation of crystalline materials has been studied for more than a century. Recent discoveries about the self-assembly of many inorganic materials, involving aggregation of nanoparticle (NP) precursors or pre-nucleation clusters, challenge the simple assumptions of classical crystallization theory. The situation for organic materials is even more of a terra incognita due to their high complexity. Using in situ high-temperature atomic force microscopy during the solvent-free crystallization of an organic compound [Ni(quinolone-8-thiolate)2], we observe long-range migration of NPs on a silica substrate and their incorporation into larger crystals, suggesting a non-classical pathway in the growth of the molecular crystal.
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, P. R. China.
authors: Guangfeng
authors: G
authors: Liu
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, P. R. China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: §Bruker (Beijing) Scientific Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Sun
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, P. R. China.
authors: Xiaoxin
authors: X
authors: Zheng
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, P. R. China.
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: ‡Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
authors: Xiaomin
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: ‡Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
authors: He
authors: H
authors: Qi
authors: ‡Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
authors: Xuedong
authors: X
authors: Bai
authors: #Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States.
authors: Kenneth A
authors: KA
authors: Jackson
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, P. R. China.
authors: Xutang
authors: X
authors: Tao
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D012997:Solvents; D009532:Nickel