Gel Growth: A Brief Review

Crystals are the pillars of the various applications in the field of science and technology. The advances in these fields depend upon the availability of good quality crystals. Therefore, efforts have been made on the development of crystal growth techniques. Gel growth technique is one of them. The present article is a brief review that deals with the growth of various types of crystals that can be grown by gel technique. Gel growth technique is quite simple and well suited for the crystal growth of compounds, which are sparingly soluble in water and decompose before melting. This technique can be set up in a laboratory with simple glass-wares and without any need of sophisticated instruments and high temperature furnaces. By carefully selecting the specific gravity of gel, pH and concentration of the reactants, good quality crystals can be grown at room temperature. Even today, the gel growth technique continuous to attract various researchers.