Description

Organic molecules are amazingly complex despite their diminutive size. The crystals in this image are made of photoreactive molecules that can kick-start chemical reactions upon UV irradiation. They are suspended in a droplet of polymer, the edge of which can be seen in the image.

To perform their job well, these molecules must dissolve in the polymer matrix. In this case, their crystallization inhibited the success of the desired reaction. This problem was solved by changing just a few atoms in the structure to prevent crystallization. Although this was a challenge to be overcome in our research, we were grateful for the brief detour into exploring these beautiful crystalline formations. This image was taken by optical microscopy (transmission mode). The sample was prepared by drop casting a solution of the polymer and organic molecule onto a quartz substrate.