Monitoring In Situ Growth and Dissolution of Molecular Crystals: Towards Determination of the Growth Units

Abstract

Cyclic, hydrogen-bonded dimers are shown to be the building blocks of α-glycine and of β-alanine crystals by atomic force microscopy and surface X-ray diffraction experiments on their growth and dissolution (one such unit of β-alanine is shown on the right). Both processes take place in steps of hydrogen-bonded bilayers.