Growing L-Glutamine & Beta Alanine crystals
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Growing L-Glutamine & Beta Alanine crystals
I have seen some beautiful images of L-Glutamine & Beta Alanine crystals photographed with polarized light. I have tried numerous times to grow some of these crystals on a microscope slide without success. Do any of you have a technique that works?
Don Parsons
- spongepuppy
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- Location: Sydney, Australia
Hi Don,
I assume you mean this sort of thing:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiJWTN9AsSd/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtyDkD4hQBG/
The proportion of the two solutes is critical to achieving these forms - I generally start from a solution of 4:1 (v/v) of beta-alanine to l-glutamine and vary concentrations until I get something that works.
Ensure that your slides are extremely clean - if they are even slightly hydrophobic the results are generally unusable.
I assume you mean this sort of thing:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiJWTN9AsSd/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtyDkD4hQBG/
The proportion of the two solutes is critical to achieving these forms - I generally start from a solution of 4:1 (v/v) of beta-alanine to l-glutamine and vary concentrations until I get something that works.
Ensure that your slides are extremely clean - if they are even slightly hydrophobic the results are generally unusable.
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Matt Inman
Matt Inman
Hi,
Thank you both for bringing this up
Thank you both for bringing this up
Now I've tried this and made notes of the concentration. Hope to get something to work. At least its a good starting pointThe proportion of the two solutes is critical to achieving these forms - I generally start from a solution of 4:1 (v/v) of beta-alanine to l-glutamine and vary concentrations until I get something that works.
Re: Growing L-Glutamine & Beta Alanine crystals
I have noticed the difference in crystal growth/shape between warm and cold solution.
Re: Growing L-Glutamine & Beta Alanine crystals
Robert Berdan did a nice job of explaining this. Check out his web page.
https://www.canadiannaturephotographer. ... stals.html
https://www.canadiannaturephotographer. ... stals.html