Kinetics of growth process controlled by mass-convective fluctuations and finite-size curvature effects

Abstract

In this study, a comprehensive view of a model crystal formation in a complex fluctuating medium is presented. The model incorporates Gaussian curvature effects at the crystal boundary as well as the possibility for superdiffusive motion near the crystal surface. A special emphasis is put on the finite-size effect of the building blocks (macroions, or the aggregates of macroions) constituting the crystal. From it an integrated static-dynamic picture of the crystal formation in terms of mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics (MNET), and with inclusion of the physically sound effects mentioned, emerges. Its quantitative measure appears to be the overall diffusion function of the formation which contains both finite-size curvature-inducing effects as well as a time-dependent superdiffusive part. A quite remarkable agreement with experiments, mostly those concerning investigations of dynamic growth layer of (poly)crystaline aggregation, exemplified by non-Kossel crystals and biomolecular spherulites, has been achieved.