Flexibility in a Molecular Crystal Accomplished by Structural Modulation of Carbohydrate Epimers

Manas K. Panda, Kumar Bhaskar Pal, Gijo Raj, Rajesh Jana, Taro Moriwaki, Goutam Dev Mukherjee, Balaram Mukhopadhyay, Panče Naumov

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Plastic bending of organic crystals is a well-known, yet mechanistically poorly understood phenomenon. On three structurally related epimers, derivatives of galactose, glucose, and mannose, it is demonstrated here that small changes in the molecular structure can have a profound effect on the mechanical properties. While the galactose derivative affords crystals which can be easily bent, the crystals of the derivatives of glucose and mannose are brittle and do not bend. Structural, microscopic, and mechanical evidence is provided showing that hydrogen bonding of water molecules is the key element for sliding over the slip planes in the crystal and accounts for the plastic bending.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1759-1765
Number of pages7
JournalCrystal Growth and Design
Volume17
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 5 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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