On a {10 (1) over bar} face of a monoclinic crystal of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL), we visualized the attachment and detachment processes of individual fluorescent-labeled HEWL (F-HEWL) molecules by a fluorescent single-molecule visualization technique. We measured the changes in number density of F-HEWL molecules, whose positions were not changed for longer than a certain residence time, as a function of an adsorption time. We first confirmed that under an equilibrium condition, there was an induction period (similar to 120 min) of the attachment/detachment processes, during which period the number density remained constant. After the induction period, the number density increased linearly with the adsorption time, as it was recently found on a tetragonal HEWL crystal [Dai, G. L. Cryst. Growth Des 2011, 11 (1), 88-92]. In addition, we performed similar measurements under a supersaturated condition. Then we found that supersaturation significantly enhanced the attachment process after the induction time. The attachment/detachment processes finally reached a steady state, in which the attachment rate was higher than the detachment one. Moreover, we also found that in a rare case, an F-HEWL molecule adsorbed on a step laterally moved following the advancement of a growing step.

[http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/cg501122f]

G.D. acknowledges the support by National Program on Key Basic Research Project (973 Program) (No. 2011CB710901), and the visiting professorship from Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University. G.S. is grateful for the support by Chinese Academy of Sciences visiting professorship for senior international scientists (Grant No. 2013T2J0060). The authors thank Y. Saito and S. Kobayashi (Olympus Engineering Co., Ltd.) for their technical support of LCM-DIM. Funding is from National Program on Key Basic Research Project (973 Program) (No. 2011CB710901); visiting professorship from Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University; Chinese Academy of Sciences visiting professorship for senior international scientists (Grant No. 2013T2J0060).