Some thoughts about the single crystal growth of small molecules

Abstract

This highlight critically compares various techniques to grow single crystals when only a few milligrams are available of the compound of interest. The authors describe vapour diffusion, evaporation, cooling, and layering techniques, as well as crystallisation in gels. A table of successfully applied solvent/antisolvent combinations for initial screening is given. Additionally, a comprehensive table of 107 solvents with their boiling points, densities and dielectric constants helps to optimise the crystal growth.