Screening for templates that promote crystallization

In Situ Product Recovery (ISPR) applied in fermentation processes leads to improved yield and productivity of these processes. In principle, ISPR can be achieved using Template Induced Crystallization (TIC), which is one possible ISPR technique. With TIC, templates are added to the solution as a specific surface upon which the solute preferably crystallizes. The governing principles of TIC are poorly understood and template selection criteria are lacking. Therefore, a method to screen for these templates has been developed.The methodology comprises metastable zone width determination, template classification and induction time measurements. The screening method was implemented in robotized equipment for parallel experimentation.The new method uses induction time measurements to distinguish templates that induce crystallization from ineffective templates. The addition of TiO2 and ZrO2 templates decreased induction times of cinnamic acid crystallization. TiO2 and ZrO2 therefore appeared effective for Template Induced Crystallization. Colloidal gold nanoparticles increased induction times and therefore were ineffective templates for TIC. It was concluded that the methodology is an effective screening tool for potential templates for inducing pH-shift crystallization. Future work will be focused on gaining understanding of the relation between physical properties of templates and their effectivity.