The green, textured surfaces of this striking image almost appear to be the fronds of plants. But what you can see are actually tetracene crystalline films, captured by polarised-light micrography. These were prepared by casting a hot solution of tetracene in toluene (an organic solvent) on a sheet of glass. As the solution cools and the solvent evaporates, tetracene precipitates out of the solution and forms crystalline films on the glass. The cooling process and the rate of solvent evaporation can influence the morphology of the crystals, leading to the varied textures and patterns you see in the image.

Images like these aren’t only visually arresting. They also provide critical information about the crystal structure, purity, and quality of the material. For materials used in electronic devices, such as organic semiconductors like tetracene, these properties can directly affect their performance and efficiency.

Professor Miao is now in the Department of Chemistry at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.