Vapor growth of mercuric iodide tetragonal prismatic crystals

The effect of polyethylene addition on the growth of mercuric iodide (HgI2) tetragonal prismatic crystals is examined. Three types of polyethylene powder are utilized: low molecular weight (Mw ∼ 4 x 103), ultra high molecular weight (Mw ∼ 3--6 x 1066), and spectrophotometric grade polyethylenes. Among these types of polyethylene, the low molecular weight polyethylene produces the most significant change in HgI2 morphology, with {110} being the most prominent crystal faces. Thermal desorption - gas chromatography/ mass spectroscopy (TD-GC/MS) studies show that thermal desorption of the low molecular weight polyethylene at 100°C and 150°C produce isomers of alkynes, odd nalkanes, and methyl (even-n) alkyl ketones. HgI2 growth runs with n-alkanes, with either neicosane, n-tetracosane, or n-hexatriacontane, cannot replicate the crystal shapes produced during growth with the low molecular weight polyethylene, whereas HgI2 growth runs with ketones, with either 3-hexadecanone or 14-heptacosanone, produce HgI2 tetragonal prismatic crystals, similar to the crystals grown with the low molecular weight polyethylene. C-O double bond contained in any ketone is a polar bond and this polar bond may be attracted to the mercury atoms on the top-most layer of the {110} faces through dipoledipole interaction. As a result, the growth of the {110} faces is impeded, with the crystals elongated in the [001] direction and bounded by the {001} faces along with large, prismatic {110} faces.