Molecular crystals of controlled size

A process for producing crystals having at least one dimension in the 100-1000 nanometer range, said process comprising the steps of:

• generating a pattered substrate by forming a pattern of a self-assembled monolayer on a substrate, wherein said pattern comprises a region having at least one dimension in the 100-1000 nanometer range;
• and
• subjecting said patterned substrate to a supersaturated solution containing a compound of interest,
• wherein the compound of interest crystallizes within said region to form crystals of the compound of interest and said region limits the growth of the crystals of the compound of interest.

A process for producing crystals having at least one dimension in the 100-1000 nanometer range, said process comprising the steps of:

• coating a master substrate with a substance that can be patterned;
• creating a pattern in said substance by a technique selected from the group consisting of microcontact printing, micromachining, focused ion beam writing, photolithography/lift off, and microwriting;
• creating a stamp of said pattern by casting a casting substance on said pattern;
• inking said stamp with an inking substance capable of forming a self-assembled monolayer to create an inked stamp;
• contacting said inked stamp to said substrate, wherein self-assembled monolayers form in the regions where said inked stamp and said substrate contact thereby forming said patterned substrate;
• and
• subjecting said patterned substrate to a supersaturated solution containing a compound of interest, wherein the compound of interest crystallizes within said patterned self-assembled monolayer to form crystals of the compound of interest and said pattern limits the growth of the crystals of the compound of interest.

A process for producing crystals having at least one dimension in the 1-5 micron range, said process comprising the steps of:

• selecting a crystallizer comprising a controlled volume, wherein said crystallizer has at least one interior dimension in the 1-25 micron range;
• and
• introducing a supersaturated solution containing a compound of interest to said crystallizer,
• wherein the compound of interest crystallizes within said crystallizer to form crystals of the compound of interest and said at least one interior dimension limits the growth of the crystals of the compound of interest.

A process for producing a crystal having at least one dimension in the 1-5 micron range, said process comprising the steps of:

• selecting a crystallizer comprising a controlled volume, wherein said crystallizer comprises has at least one interior dimension in the 1-25 micron range;
• introducing a supersaturated solution containing a compound of interest to said crystallizer, wherein the compound of interest crystallizes within said crystallizer to form at least one three-dimensional crystal of the compound of interest and said at least one interior dimension limits the growth in at least one dimension of the at least one crystal of the compound of interest;
• allowing said at least one crystal to grow in a second dimension to a selected value;
• and
• removing said at least one crystal from said crystallizer.