Discussion and Conclusions L-ascorbic acid was ideal for this project because it readily forms nearly perfect crystals. The compound was also readily available and posed no undue safety hazards. Nearly perfect crystals were also found on the depression microscope slide in a matter of hours. The ascorbic acid crystals produced from the slow-cooling process were larger than the crystals produced from evaporation. However, the larger crystals yielded a less distinct morphology than the smaller ones.
Crystal growth occurs from a saturated solution.
As the concentration gradient increases nucleation will occur, in which the ascorbic crystals will join to one another via hydrogen bonds. Once a seed crystal is formed, there are well defined areas where additional ascorbic acid molecules can join. It is generally easier to fill in a hole or to continue growth along a partially filled face rather than an edge or corner because there are more hydrogen bonding sites available. There are three hydrogen bonds between molecules of different unit cells that lie along sides a and b, and seven along side c. This leads to the theory that free-floating molecules of ascorbic acid will be more attracted to side c than a or b because of its greater electrostatic attraction.