Abstract
The interaction between the spreading of a hydrofluoric acid-based drop on a glass surface and its etching rate gives rise to hollow crystals of various shapes, including cubes, triangles, and icosahedra. These geometries are dependent on their position with respect to the contact line, where a rim forms by agglutination, similar to the formation of a coffee stain. Atomic force microscopy indentation and transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that these crystals are hollow ammonium-fluosilicate-based cryptohalite shells.