From Tailored Supports to Controlled Nucleation: Exploring Material Chemistry, Surface Nanostructure, and Wetting Regime Effects in Heterogeneous Nucleation of Organic Molecules

In this study, the role of the material chemistry and the physical surface nanostructure (topography) of polymeric films to stimulate heterogeneous nucleation of three representative organic molecules, acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid and glycine, was investigated. Aim of the work was to enhance current knowledge of the mechanisms involved in heterogeneous nucleation and to enable rational design and fabrication on a large scale of materials useful to control nucleation processes for scientific, technological, and industrial applications. Experimental results demonstrated that while solute–polymer interaction dictated whether a surface would behave as an effective heteronucleant, roughness cannot be generally considered as an absolute and univocal parameter in directly enhancing its nucleating activity, as the specific surface topography has to be correlated with its wetting behavior, so that chemical and physical properties will cooperate or compete to address the process.