Going back through time, cultures around the world—from ancient Sumer to Indus Valley, China, and South America—have believed crystals could evoke a kind of sorcery, conjure change, and heal disease.

A setback in growing light-responsive crystals led UB chemist Jason Benedict and his team to a novel method for mapping molecular arrangements.

Remember that old high school chemistry experiment where salt crystals precipitate out of a saltwater solution – or maybe the one where rock candy crystals form from sugar water? It turns out that ...

Inclusion crystals and host–guest chemistry represent a dynamic field of research that explores the ability of crystalline materials to incorporate guest molecules through non‐covalent interactions.

Applying simple, ancient weaving techniques to newly recognized properties of organic crystals, researchers with the Smart Materials Lab (SML) and the Center for Smart Engineering Materials (CSEM) at ...

In a surprising twist, researchers have identified crystals that are symmetrical but nevertheless absorb light as if they were chiral (Science 2025, DOI: 10.1126/science.adr5478). The discovery ...

Crystals such as diamonds are renowned for their vibrant colors and unique geometries. But to a chemist, their beauty transcends what we can see with the naked eye. With special equipment, they are ...

James Wuest studied chemistry and mathematics at Cornell University, where he received an A. B. in 1969. He did graduate work in organic chemistry with the late Robert B. Woodward at Harvard ...

Long spikes of crystals emanate from a single point. They glow bright blue but are slowly being overtaken by splotches of bright orange. Credit: Submitted by Prodipta Samadder These crystals are all ...

A recent theory challenges conventional understanding of crystallization. It shows that the dominant element in a solution—the solvent, not the solute—is the material that crystallizes. This finding, ...