Frozen oil droplets morph and shine
Hydrocarbon crystals could eventually serve as drug delivery vessels
In carefully chilled conditions, microscopic beads of oil freeze to form a panoply of shapes.
The triangles, hexagons and other structures above are oil droplets tens of micrometers across that are mixed with water and a detergent-like substance, and then slowly frozen to form hydrogen-carbon crystals. Polarized light passing through the crystals disperses to create the kaleidoscopic color displays. University of Cambridge materials scientist Stoyan Smoukov and colleagues described the assorted shapes and the recipes for crafting them in the Dec. 17 Nature.