Non-Ostwald behavior of disperse systems in evaporation and crystallization of droplets of water–organic solutions

This Letter describes experiments with aqueous solutions of organic substances demonstrating a non-Ostwald behavior under which the stability of small droplets during evaporation and crystallization is higher than that of large droplets. Such a behavior has been described earlier for aqueous solutions of some inorganic salts. It is shown that the non-Ostwald behavior has a common thermodynamic nature with Ostwald ripening and should be observed in disperse systems with a complex chemical composition. The features of reproduction of the non-Ostwald behavior related to the surface activity of organic substances in aqueous solutions are described. The studied regularities can be used upon preparation of solutions of organic and bioorganic substances with a concentration significantly higher than their solubility under normal conditions, as well as for the formation of narrow size distributions in different spray processes.