Issue 6, 2013

Resolving the longstanding riddle of pH-dependent outcome of glycine polymorphic nucleation

Abstract

We have experimentally studied the nucleation of acidic and basic glycine aqueous solutions using in situ Raman spectroscopy and hence resolved the longstanding riddle of pH-dependent polymorphic outcome. We have found that typical inorganic acids and bases accelerate the nucleation rates of both α- and γ-glycine, with γ-glycine promoted to a greater extent hence formed preferentially over α-glycine. We hypothesize that glycine ions, readily formed in an acidic or basic environment, induce head-to-tail molecular ordering which structurally matches γ-glycine and primarily directs nucleation path from α-glycine to γ-glycine.

Graphical abstract: Resolving the longstanding riddle of pH-dependent outcome of glycine polymorphic nucleation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Oct 2012
Accepted
28 Nov 2012
First published
29 Nov 2012

CrystEngComm, 2013,15, 1218-1224

Resolving the longstanding riddle of pH-dependent outcome of glycine polymorphic nucleation

G. Han, S. Thirunahari, P. Shan Chow and R. B. H. Tan, CrystEngComm, 2013, 15, 1218 DOI: 10.1039/C2CE26594J

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