Study of surface structure and dextran incorporation into sucrose crystals using atomic force microscopy

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) represents a useful tool in providing information on the mechanism of growth of sucrose and the molecular roughness of the crystal surface with changes in the supersaturation level. Moreover, a better understanding of the effect of dextran as a macromolecular nonsugar on sucrose crystal growth is obtained. Step height, and the radius of the 2D critical nucleus were determined using the AFM technique.