Abstract:
Recent extensive experimental work and the limited theoretical studies of the
phenomenon of self-poisoning of the crystal growth face are reviewed. The effect arises
from incorrect but nearly stable stem attachments which obstruct productive growth. Experimental
data on the temperature and concentration dependence of growth rates and the morphology of long-chain monodisperse n-alkanes from C162H326 to C390H782 are
surveyed and compared to some previously established data on poly(ethylene oxide) fractions,
as well as on polyethylene. The anomalous growth rate minima in both temperature
and concentration dependence of growth rates are accompanied by profound changes in
crystal habits, which have been analysed in terms of growth rates on different crystallographic
faces, and in terms of separate rates of step nucleation and propagation. In
some cases non-nucleated rough-surface growth is approached. The phenomena covered
include “poisoning” minima induced by guest species, the “dilution wave” effect, autocatalytic
crystallization, pre-ordering in solution, two-dimensional nucleation, and the
kinetic roughening and tilt of basal surfaces.
