Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Growing quasicrystals?

Alquimia - 10-10-2017 at 06:12

Is there it some water soluble substance (or soluble in another liquid at room temperature and pressure) which crystallize forming quasicrystals?

For example, some salt that crysallizes forming dodecahedrons or icosahedrons, etc.

NEMO-Chemistry - 10-10-2017 at 06:23

Quote: Originally posted by Alquimia  
Is there it some water soluble substance (or soluble in another liquid at room temperature and pressure) which crystallize forming quasicrystals?

For example, some salt that crysallizes forming dodecahedrons or icosahedrons, etc.


This will get kicked to beginners no doubt, but does water glass and metal salts fit the bill for you?

CaCl2 - 10-10-2017 at 06:32

Quote: Originally posted by NEMO-Chemistry  
Quote: Originally posted by Alquimia  
Is there it some water soluble substance (or soluble in another liquid at room temperature and pressure) which crystallize forming quasicrystals?

For example, some salt that crysallizes forming dodecahedrons or icosahedrons, etc.


This will get kicked to beginners no doubt, but does water glass and metal salts fit the bill for you?


That would be crystals, this thread is about quasicrystals. (Which are far from a beginger-y subject.)


I actually looked into this question a few weeks ago, all quasicrystals I could find were metallic, and often required metals which would be difficult to melt for a hobbyist. Magnesium-Holmium-Zinc is the most commonly spoken about one, but melting those three metals together would be tricky.

They are also hard to grow, making metallic single grystals is difficult, this also applies to quasicrystals.


[Edited on 10-10-2017 by CaCl2]

NEMO-Chemistry - 10-10-2017 at 06:53

sorry my bad

CaCl2 - 11-10-2017 at 01:46

The section 6 of this page:

http://www.jcrystal.com/steffenweber/qc.html#4.%20Types%20of...

lists many of the known quasicrystalline systems, all seem to be metallic, and i'm not sure if all of them are suited for making macroscopic crystals.

I wonder if any of them would be within the reach of an well-equiped chemistry hobbyist. The aluminum-iron-copper one seems like the most practical option to try.