A new experimental setup for high-throughput controlled non-photochemical laser-induced nucleation Application to glycine crystallization

Bertrand Clair (1) , Aziza Ikni (1) , Wenjing Li (1) , P. Scouflaire (2) , V. Quemener (3) , Anne Spasojevic - de Biré (1)

1 SPMS - Laboratoire Structures, Propriétés et Modélisation des solides
2 EM2C - Laboratoire d'Énergétique Moléculaire et Macroscopique, Combustion
3 ARCALE

Synopsis A new experimental setup for a high throughput controlled Non-Photochemical LASER-Induced Nucleation (NPLIN) has been designed. Nucleation efficiency of Glycine as a function of the supersaturation of the solution used and the LASER beam energy density has been established on a large number of samples. Abstract Non-Photochemical LASER-Induced Nucleation (NPLIN) is a growing field of studies since 1996, with more than 40 compounds including organic, inorganic and proteins probed under various conditions (solvents, LASER types, LASER beams …). The potential advantages using this technique are huge, in particular polymorphic control. To realize these benefits, the objective is a carefully designed experimental setup and highly controlled parameters, such as for example temperature and energy density, to reduce the uncertainty regarding the origin of nucleation. In this paper, we report a new experimental setup designed to study NPLIN. After a full technical description of our own setup, we will illustrate the different functionalities of our device through results on glycine. Glycine crystals obtained through NPLIN, nucleate at the meniscus and exhibit different morphologies. Nucleation efficiency as a function of the supersaturation of the solution used and the LASER beam energy density have also been established on a large number of samples with all other parameters held constant.

Mots clés: polymorphic control; Non-photochemical laser-induced nucleation (NPLIN); glycine

Domaines: Cristallographie; Chimie thérapeutique

Bertrand Clair, Aziza Ikni, Wenjing Li, P. Scouflaire, V. Quemener, et al.. A new experimental setup for high-throughput controlled non-photochemical laser-induced nucleation Application to glycine crystallization. Journal of Applied Crystallography, 2014, 47 (4), pp.1252-1260. ⟨10.1107/S160057671401098X⟩. ⟨hal-02296127⟩