Tracing coffee tabletop traces
Crystallization processes under different conditions are of fundamental interest in chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine. Therefore, we have studied the formation of micro- and nanosized crystals using water-caffeine (1,3,7-trimethyl-1 H-purine-2,6(3 H,7 H)-dione) solutions under ambient conditions as...
Veröffentlicht in: | Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids. - 1991. - 24(2008), 15 vom: 05. Aug., Seite 7970-8 |
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Format: | Online-Aufsatz |
Sprache: | English |
Veröffentlicht: |
2008
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Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids |
Schlagworte: | Journal Article Coffee Solutions Caffeine 3G6A5W338E |
Zusammenfassung: | Crystallization processes under different conditions are of fundamental interest in chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine. Therefore, we have studied the formation of micro- and nanosized crystals using water-caffeine (1,3,7-trimethyl-1 H-purine-2,6(3 H,7 H)-dione) solutions under ambient conditions as a relevant model system. When droplets of an aqueous caffeine solution evaporate and eventually dry on surfaces (glass, polystyrene, and polyester), stable "coffee tabletop" rings with a perimeter of typically 3 mm are formed after 20 to 50 min. Using a micro focus X-ray beam available at the BESSY muSpot-beamline, the fine structure of different caffeine needles can be distinguished. Unexpectedly, both crystal modifications (alpha- and beta-caffeine) are present, but locally separated in these rings. Furthermore, AFM studies reveal the presence of even smaller particles on a nanometer length scale. To eliminate influences of surface irregularities from the crystallization process, acoustic levitation of liquid samples was employed. Such levitated droplets are trapped in a stable position and only surrounded by air. The solvent in an ultrasonically levitated drop evaporates completely, and the resulting crystallization of caffeine was followed in situ by synchrotron X-ray diffraction. In this case, the diffraction pattern is in accordance with pure alpha-caffeine and does not indicate the formation of the room temperature polymorph beta-caffeine. Hence, our investigations open new vistas that may lead to a controlled formation of cocrystals and novel polymorphs of micro- and nanocrystalline materials, which are of relevance for fundamental studies as well as for pharmaceutical and medical applications |
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Beschreibung: | Date Completed 08.09.2008 Date Revised 21.11.2013 published: Print-Electronic Citation Status MEDLINE |
ISSN: | 0743-7463 |
DOI: | 10.1021/la800768v |