Crystal flowers so small they can only be seen under a microscope may one day lead to similar items grown for homes. This could be welcome news for those who don't have the space or inclination to grow a live garden.
Harvard researchers recently made news when they were able to form microscopic crystal flowers in beakers, and control their growth. They were able to produce many different shapes and styles of these artificial flowers by controlling the temperature and acidity of the solution, among other factors.
Although these tiny flowers were far too small to be seen by the human eye, the technology developed could lead to similar larger flowers in the future. People may one day see crystal flowers adorning their home.
"When you look through the electron microscope, it really feels a bit like you're diving in the ocean, seeing huge fields of coral and sponges ... Sometimes I forget to take images because it's so nice to explore," postdoctoral fellow Wim L. Noorduin of Harvard said in a press release.
Barium chloride and sodium silicate, the two chemicals used by the Harvard researchers are both hazardous to handle, so they should not be used at home.
One method of producing something like Harvard's crystal flowers safely at home involves ammonia and bluing. Take half a cup of salt and dissolve it in half a cup of water. Stir in the same amount of bluing and 1 1/4 tablespoons of ammonia. Mix this solution well (add food coloring if you like), then pour over a porous object like a piece of coal.
Conversely, you can also create a small tree out of paper, and stand that in a shallow dish of your solution. Within a few hours, you will start to see crystals growing all around the coal, or climbing up the "leaves" of your paper tree. Bluing is a laundry additive and can be found in fabric stores. Kits for creating trees like this are often called Magic Trees. These artificial structures are inspired by life.
Harvard professor Joanna Aizenberg said, "Our vision really is to build as organisms do."
Maybe one day, the intricate designs seen in the crystal flowers from Harvard may bring beauty to our homes. But for now, we can at least admire pictures of the tiny flowers of today.
