Nucleation in small volumes and confinement

Abstract

The formation of a crystalline phase from solution is a key subject in a wide range of interdisciplinary fields, from materials and pharmaceutical research to biochemistry, molecular biology or physical chemistry, among many others. In most of those fields, the studies performed in small volumes are motivated by four main intersts: Low (High added value) reagents consumption, emulation of crystallization conditions in natural or biological environments, location of crystallization events in a confined space for their study, and the study and exploitation fo the effects that confinement itself experts in the precipitating material. Along the present thesis, we have explored the application of small volumes for the study of different systems and substances of interest.