IRG 2: Molecular Crystal Growth Mechanisms assembles a team from Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics to investigate the fundamental science of molecular crystal growth, an area of vital interest for pharmaceuticals, organic electronics, and other technologies. While crystal growth of metals, semiconductors, and binary oxides is highly developed, understanding of basic elements of molecular crystal growth is lacking. The IRG advances the understanding of essential aspects of crystal growth science and engineering, investigating nucleation, dislocation generation and structure, multi-step assembly at the unit cell level, and origins of non-classical morphologies in molecular crystals. IRG 2 combines theoretical modeling, computer simulation, and experiment to develop predictive models  of crystal structure and free energy and to investigate the dynamic aspects of crystal growth.

Senior Participants: Daniella Buccella, Bruce. Garetz, David G. Grier, Maranda Holmes-Cerfon, B. Kahr, Robert Kohn, Jin Montclare, Mark Tuckerman, Michael D. Ward, Marcus Weck.