https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.14265
Epitaxy between crystals of the same substance.
Notes:
- Homoepitaxy may occur between crystals of the same crystal polymorph but different morphology as in the crystallization of chain-folded crystals on fibril-like extended-chain crystals in shish-kebabs. Similarly, in non-isothermal crystallization, lamellar crystals of lower thickness are often nucleated on thicker crystals, preserving a unique orientation of the crystal lattice.
- A less frequent homoepitaxy may occur, as for the \(\ce{\upalpha\mbox{-}polymorph}\) of isotactic polypropylene, between crystals of the same crystal polymorph and morphology but with a different, well-defined orientation of the crystal lattice.
- Homoepitaxy may allow the development of crystals of the same polymer but in two distinct crystal polymorphs with well-defined mutual orientations, as in the case of \(\ce{\upgamma\mbox{-}isotactic}\) polypropylene grown on \(\ce{\upalpha\mbox{-}isotactic}\) polypropylene.
- A new crystal layer, initiated by secondary nucleation, or the formation of a twinned polymer crystal, can be seen as a form of homoepitaxy.