Crystal packing

Abstract

Crystal packing is a fascinating, and at the same time, such complicated phenomenon. The physics of the interaction between particles in a crystal is relatively simple, but the rules that govern the ways in which these forces can be modulated are complex and still obscure. In this short review a brief history of discovery of close packing, experiments for crystal structure determination, basic principles of geometrical crystallography, and importance of crystal packing for various properties and applications of crystals are presented. For complete understanding of rules which relate nature of forces in crystals with crystal symmetry and various properties one must master basic principles of crystal packing.

Iako se eksperimentom difrakcije rendgenskih zraka mogu dobiti podaci za izvođenje strukturnog modela koji daje uvid u pakovanje kristala, predviđanje načina i kontrola pakovanja predstavljaju još uvek daleke ciljeve. Čak ne postoji ni generalni odgovor na fundamentalno pitanje: zašto neke supstance kristališu, a neke ne? Kakav je uticaj veličine i oblika molekula, konformacije i polarnosti na sposobnost kristalizacije? Strategijom akumulacije i sistematske analize podataka iz kristalografskih baza verovatno će se u budućnosti doći do odgovora na ova fundamentalna, ali i dalje otvorena pitanja.