Nanostructural origin of blue fluorescence in the mineral karpatite.

ABSTRACT: The colour of crystals is a function of their atomic structure. In the case of organic crystals, it is the spatial relationships between molecules that determine the colour, so the same molecules in the same arrangement should produce crystals of the same colour, regardless of whether they arise geologically or synthetically. There is a naturally-occurring organic crystal known as karpatite which is prized for its beautiful blue fluorescence under ultra-violet illumination. When grown under laboratory conditions however, the crystals fluoresce with an intense green colour. For 20 years, this difference has been thought to be due to chemical impurities in the laboratory-grown material. Using electron microscopy coupled with fluorescence spectroscopy and X-Ray diffraction, we report here tha

SUBMITTER: Potticary J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5575318 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature