Influence of the primary structure of enzymes on the formation of CaCO2 polymorphs: a comparison of plant (Canavalia ensiformis) and bacterial (Bacillus pasteurii) ureases

The influence of the primary structures of plant (Canavalia ensiformis) and bacterial (Bacillus pasteurii) ureases on the precipitation of calcium carbonate polymorphs in solutions of calcium salts and urea at room temperature was investigated. Despite a similar catalytic function in the decomposition of urea, these ureases exerted different influences on the crystal phase formation and on the development of unusual morphologies of calcium carbonate polymorphs. Spherical and uniform vaterite particles were precipitated rather than calcite in the presence of Bacillus urease, while the presence of Canavalia urease resulted in the precipitation of calcite only. Vaterite particles were shown to be built up of nanosized crystallites, proving the importance of nanoscale aggregation processes on the formation of colloidal carbonates. Reduction of the concentration of Bacillus urease in the reacting solution results in the formation of calcite crystals with a more complex surface morphology than the ones obtained by Canavalia urease. These differences may be explained by dissimilarities in the amino acid sequences of the two examined ureases and their different roles in nucleation and physicochemical interactions with the surface of the growing crystals, during the precipitation processes. This study exemplifies the diversity of proteins produced by different organisms for the same function, and the drastic effects of subtle differences in their primary structures on crystal phase formation and growth morphology of calcium carbonate precipitates, which occur as inorganic components in a large number of biogenic structures.     

Crystallization and aggregation behaviors of calcium carbonate in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and sodium dodecyl sulfate

An anionic surfactant interacts strongly with a polymer molecule to form a self-assembled structure, due to the attractive force of the hydrophobic association and electrostatic repulsion. In this crystallization medium, the surfactant-stabilized inorganic particles adsorbed on the polymer chains, as well as the bridging effect of polymer molecules, controlled the aggregation behavior of colloidal particles. In this presentation, the spontaneous precipitation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was conducted from the aqueous systems containing a water-soluble polymer (poly(vinylpyrrolidone), PVP) and an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS). When the SDS concentrations were lower than the onset of interaction between PVP and SDS, the precipitated CaCO3 crystals were typically hexahedron-shaped calcite; the increasing SDS concentration caused the morphologies of CaCO3 aggregates to change from the flower-shaped calcite to hollow spherical calcite, then to solid spherical vaterite. These results indicate that the self-organized configurations of the polymer/surfactant supramolecules dominate the morphologies of CaCO3 aggregates, implying that this simple and versatile method expands the morphological investigation of the mineralization process.     

Properties of amorphous calcium carbonate and the template action of vaterite spheres

The fast mixing of aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate could immediately result in amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). Under vigorous stirring, the formed ACC in the precipitation system will dissolve first and, then, transform within minutes to produce crystalline forms of vaterite and calcite. After that, the solution-mediated mechanism dominates the transformation of the thermodynamically unstable vaterite into the thermodynamically stable calcite. Although ACC is the least stable form of the six anhydrous phases of calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)), it could be, however, produced and stabilized by a variety of organisms. To better understand the formation-transformation mechanism of ACC and vaterite into calcite, ex-situ methods (i.e., scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy) were used to characterize the formation-transformation process of ACC and vaterite in aqueous systems without organic additives, showing that ACC sampled at different conditions has different properties (i.e., lifetime, morphology, and spectrum characterization). It is also very interesting to capture the obviously polycrystalline particles of CaCO(3) during the transformation process from vaterite to calcite, which suggests the formation mechanism for the calcite superstructure with multidimensional morphology.     

Formation of rod-shaped calcite crystals by microemulsion-based synthesis

Novel rod-shaped calcite crystals are formed by precipitation from cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/1-pentanol/cyclohexane microemulsions containing calcium chloride and ammonium carbonate. The calcium carbonate initially precipitates as hexagon-shaped vaterite crystals. The vaterite crystals transform to unusual rod-shaped calcite crystals over several days. The rod-shaped calcite crystals are prismatic, with the longest crystal axis displaying (110) crystal faces. A possible mechanism of crystal growth is discussed. The elongated shape of the crystals facilitates the assembly into hierarchical structures and can allow the crystals to be used as templates for fabricating advanced materials.     

Nucleation of calcium carbonate as polymorphic crystals in the presence of lipid A-diphosphate

The well-defined structure of lipid A-diphosphate in aqueous solutions provides a way of observing the formation of calcium carbonate crystals. The crystals are either tetrahedral or rhombohedral calcite at a volume fraction of phi = 5.4 x 10 (-4) at pH 5.8 or the vaterite polymorph of CaCO(3) at a volume fraction of phi = 7.8 x 10 (-4) at pH 5.8. In both cases, nucleation, adsorption pH, and the shape-dependent template of lipid A-diphosphate control the formation of the calcite and vaterite.     

Controlled growth of micropatterned, oriented calcite films on a self-assembled multilayer film

A micropatterned multilayer film, which was fabricated from layer-by-layer electrostatic self-assembly of nitrodiazoresin (NDR)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) followed by photolithography, was utilized as a structured template for the biomimetic mineralization of calcium carbonate. Micropatterned CaCO3 films consisting of regularly aligned calcite crystals oriented in the <104> direction were selectively deposited on the patterned NDR/PAA multilayer film.     

Influence of Calcium Sources on Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation by Bacillus sp. CR2

Stimulation of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICCP) is likely to be influenced by calcium sources. In order to study such influences, we performed MICCP using Bacillus sp. CR2 in nutrient broth containing urea, supplemented with different calcium sources (calcium chloride, calcium oxide, calcium acetate and calcium nitrate). The experiment lasted 7 days, during which bacterial growth, urease activity, calcite production and pH were measured. Our results showed that calcium chloride is the better calcium source for MICCP process, since it provides higher urease activity and more calcite production. The influences of calcium sources on MICCP were further studied using Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. These analyses confirmed that the precipitate formed was CaCO₃ and composed of predominantly calcite crystals with a little amount of aragonite and vaterite crystals. The maximum yield of calcite precipitation was achievable with calcium chloride followed by calcium nitrate as a calcium source. The results of present study may be applicable to media preparation during efficient MICCP process.     

Influence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and static magnetic field on the properties of freshly precipitated calcium carbonate

Properties of calcium carbonate precipitated from aqueous solutions of CaCl(2) and Na(2)CO(3) in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and S-S 0.1 T magnetic field (MF) were studied. The nucleation and precipitation processes of CaCO(3) were investigated by pH and zeta potential measurements at 20 +/- 1 degrees C up to 2 h after mixing the solutions. Also the amounts of calcium carbonate deposited on the glass surfaces and its structure were examined. It was found that SDS influences the kinetics of precipitation, crystallographic forms, and crystal size of CaCO(3). The SDS effects are more pronounced in MF presence. A small amount of SDS accelerates transformation of vaterite into calcite, whereas increasing surfactant concentration moderates such a transformation. On the other hand, in all the systems, MF in the presence of SDS causes a slower transformation of vaterite into calcite. These effects are reflected in pH and zeta potential changes, although there is no clear dependence between the SDS amount present during the precipitation and changes of the parameters investigated. It seems that MF effect is most significant at a defined optimal SDS concentration. The results, however, do not allow suggestion of any detailed mechanism of the field interaction.     

Factors involved in the formation of amorphous and crystalline calcium carbonate: a study of an ascidian skeleton.

The majority of invertebrate skeletal tissues are composed of the most stable crystalline polymorphs of CaCO(3), calcite, and/or aragonite. Here we describe a composite skeletal tissue from an ascidian in which amorphous and crystalline calcium carbonate coexist in well-defined domains separated by an organic sheath. Each biogenic mineral phase has a characteristic Mg content (5.9 and 1.7 mol %, respectively) and concentration of intramineral proteins (0.05 and 0.01 wt %, respectively). Macromolecular extracts from various biogenic amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) skeletons are typically glycoproteins, rich in glutamic acid and hydroxyamino acids. The proteins from the crystalline calcitic phases are aspartate-rich. Macromolecules extracted from biogenic ACC induced the formation of stabilized ACC and/or inhibited crystallization of calcite in vitro. The yield of the synthetic ACC was 15-20%. The presence of Mg facilitated the stabilization of ACC: the protein content in synthetic ACC was 0.12 wt % in the absence of Mg and 0.07 wt % in the presence of Mg (the Mg content in the precipitate was 8.5 mol %). In contrast, the macromolecules extracted from the calcitic layer induced the formation of calcite crystals with modified morphology similar to that expressed by the original biogenic calcite. We suggest that specialized macromolecules and magnesium ions may cooperate in the stabilization of intrinsically unstable amorphous calcium carbonate and in the formation of complex ACC/calcite tissues in vivo.     

Early homogenous amorphous precursor stages of calcium carbonate and subsequent crystal growth in levitated droplets

An in situ study of the contact-free crystallization of calcium carbonate in acoustic levitated droplets is reported. The levitated droplet technique allows an in situ monitoring of the crystallization while avoiding any foreign phase boundaries that may influence the precipitation process by heterogeneous nucleation. The diffusion-controlled precipitation of CaCO3 at neutral pH starts in the initial step with the homogeneous formation of a stable, nanosized liquid-like amorphous calcium carbonate phase that undergoes in a subsequent step a solution-assisted transformation to calcite. Cryogenic scanning electron microscopy studies indicate that precipitation is not induced at the solution/air interface. Our findings demonstrate that a liquid-liquid phase separation occurs at the outset of the precipitation under diffusion-controlled conditions (typical for biomineral formation) with a slow increase of the supersaturation at neutral pH.     

阴离子氨基酸表面活性剂调控碳酸钙的仿生合成

室温下, 在乙醇或乙醇-水混合体系中, 利用氨基酸表面活性剂N-酰基十二烷基肌氨酸钠(Sar)调控合成碳酸钙, 采用SEM, XRD和FTIR等技术表征了反应产物. 在乙醇体系中, 首先形成多面体形状的文石, 然后逐渐转变为圆球状的无定形碳酸钙. 在乙醇-水混合体系中, 合成了花簇状多级结构碳酸钙晶体. 增加N-酰基十二烷基肌氨酸钠的用量有助于形成球霰石结构, 当n(Ca2+)∶n(Sar)=1∶1 时, 得到的花状碳酸钙为球霰石和方解石的混合物, 当n(Ca2+)∶n(Sar)=1∶2 时, 得到纯净的球霰石, 其形貌为大小较均一的单分散的球, 直径约为7 μm; 另外, 当n(Ca2+)∶n(Sar)=1∶1时, 混合溶剂中水和乙醇的体积比由1.5∶1依次增加为7∶3和3∶1时, 碳酸钙晶体的形貌由花状逐渐向球形过渡, 晶体中球霰石和方解石的含量也随之变化, 其中, 当水和醇的体积比为7∶3时, 产物主要为球霰石型晶体.     

Heterogeneous nucleation and growth of calcium carbonate on calcite and quartz

The precipitation of calcium carbonate as a binding salt for the consolidation of loose sand formations is a promising approach. The heterogeneous nucleation and growth of calcite were investigated in supersaturated solutions. The ionic activities in the solutions tested were selected so that they included both supersaturations in which crystal growth took place only following the introduction of seed particles and supersaturations in which precipitation occurred spontaneously past the lapse of induction times. In the latter case the supersaturation conditions were sufficiently low to allow the measurement of induction times preceding the onset of precipitation. The stability domain of the calcium carbonate system was established at pH 8.50, 25 degrees C, measuring the induction times in the range between 30 min and 2 h. The rates of precipitation following the destabilization of the solutions were measured from the pH and/or concentration-time profiles. The induction times were inversely proportional and rates proportional to the solution supersaturation as expected. The high-order dependence of the rates of precipitation on the solution supersaturation suggested a polynuclear growth mechanism. Fitting of the induction time-supersaturation data according to this model yielded a value of 64 mJ/m2 for the surface energy of the calcite nucleus. In the concentration domain corresponding to stable supersaturated solutions, seeded growth experiments at constant supersaturation showed a second-order dependence on the rates of crystal growth of calcite seed crystals. Inoculation of the stable supersaturated solutions with quartz seed crystals failed to induce nucleation. Raising supersaturation to reach the unstable domain showed interesting features: calcite seed crystals yielded crystal growth kinetics compatible with the polynuclear growth model, without any induction time. The presence of quartz seed crystals reduced the induction times and resulted in nucleation in the bulk solution. The kinetic data in the latter case were consistent with the polynuclear growth model and the surface energy for the newly forming embryo was calculated equal to 31.1 mJ/m2, because of the dominantly heterogeneous nature of the process.     

Calcium carbonate solubility: a reappraisal of scale formation and inhibition

Considerable disparity exists in the published thermodynamic data for selected species in the Ca(2+) /CO(2)/H(2)O system near 25 degrees C and 1 atm pressure. Some authors doubt the significance of CaCO(3)(0)aq) complexes although there is experimental evidence of their occurrence. Evaluation of all the published experimental and estimated data for aqueous calcium carbonate species confirms that the consistent set of constants given by Plummer and Busenberg in 1982 is the best available, and suggests a formation constant log beta = 3.22 for CaCO(3)(0)(aq). This value was confirmed by additional experimental data and calculations using a specially developed computer program. The solubility s and solubility product K(s) are critically evaluated for each solid polymorph (amorphous CaCO(3), ikaite, vaterite, aragonite and calcite) using a hydrated ion pair model and we give coherent explanations for the calcium carbonate precipitation/dissolution process and the existence of supersaturated waters. The practical cases of scale formation and its inhibition by phosphonate-type compounds are discussed and explained with the same model, taking into account the CaCO(3)(0)(aq) species.     

共沉淀法合成复合碳酸钙及其形貌和晶型的研究

以硬脂酸钠盐皂化液为介质，共沉淀法合成碳酸钙/硬脂酸钙复合物。SEM， XRD等测试手段表明：不同反应温度及有机物尝试条件下得到的复合物具有多变的 外观外形貌；其中碳酸钙以方妥石和球霰石的混晶形式存在，两者经例呈一定变化 规律，并对其进行了合理的解释，认为有机物的浓度和温度不同，使其在溶液中形 成的胶束结构及其亲水基团有不同排列，并以不同匹配方式影响碳酸钙结晶行为， 从而影响复合碳酸钙的形貌和晶型。     

蔗糖/精氨酸体系中碳酸钙结晶的仿生合成

该文以更加接近生物矿化的方法研究了蔗糖/精氨酸体系对碳酸钙晶体取向、形貌和晶型的控制作用.XRD 分析表明,在蔗糖/L-精氨酸混合体系中合成的晶体主要为碳酸钙的球霰石晶型及少量的方解石型,在单独的蔗糖或L-精氨酸溶液中基本是球霰石晶型.SEM分析表明,蔗糖和L-精氨酸均可诱导形成特殊形貌的碳酸钙.实验结果表明,蔗糖/精...     

稀土离子对溶液体系中碳酸钙生成的影响

用X射线粉末衍射、XPS光电子能谱、红外光谱以及ICP-MS等技术研究不同浓度的Ce3+,Nd3+,Tb3+,Gd3+,Lu3+对碳酸钙结晶状况的影响.稀土离子的加入有利于热力学稳定态的方解石型碳酸钙的生成,并且稀土离子能够部分的取代晶格中的钙离子,改变碳酸钙的结晶习性,在宏观上形成有序规则的排列.     

高分子基质作用下多孔碳酸钙的仿生合成

依据生物矿化的基本原理,通过仿生合成的方法,以聚丙烯酰胺作为基质合成了一种有机、无机复合的多孔碳酸钙材料.用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)分析、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、傅里叶变换红外吸收光谱(FT-IR)和电导率测定等手段对所得复合碳酸钙进行了表征,结果发现该多孔CaCO3晶体为方解石型,并且在结晶过程中,聚丙烯酰胺与CaCO3之间存在着相互作用,本文讨论了这种作用的可能机理.     

碳酸钙微米球的制备与表征

采用醋酸钙和碳酸钠为原料,在反应温度为5℃和柠檬酸三钠质量百分浓度为15%的条件下,采用沉淀法合成出了粒度为1～4μm、分散性好的球形碳酸钙粉体。用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、红外光谱仪(IR)、原子力扫描探针显微镜(ASPM)、光学显微镜、粒度分析仪等对样品进行了表征,并用光学显微镜跟踪考察了碳酸钙微米球的形成过程。结果表明,碳酸钙微米球是由大量纳米级颗粒组装而成。     

Effect of inorganic anions on the morphology and structure of magnesium calcite

Calcium carbonate was precipitated from calcium hydroxide and carbonic acid solutions at 25 degrees C, with and without addition of different magnesium (MgSO(4), Mg(NO(3))(2) and MgCl(2)) and sodium salts (Na(2)SO(4), NaNO(3) and NaCl) of identical anions, in order to study the mode of incorporation of magnesium and inorganic anions and their effect on the morphology of calcite crystals over a range of initial reactant concentrations and limited c(i)(Mg(2+))/c(i)(Ca(2+)) molar ratios. The morphology, crystal size distribution, composition, structure, and specific surface area of the precipitated crystals, as well as the mode of cation and anion incorporation into the calcite crystal lattice, were studied by a combination of optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electronic counting, a multiple BET method, thermogravimetry, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In the systems of high initial relative supersaturation, precipitation of an amorphous precursor phase preceded the formation of calcite, whereas in those of lower supersaturation calcite was the first and only polymorphic modification of calcium carbonate that appeared in the system. The magnesium content in calcite increased with the magnesium concentration in solution and was correlated with the type of magnesium salt used. Mg incorporation caused the formation of crystals elongated along the calcite c axis and, in some cases, the appearance of new [011] faces. Polycrystalline aggregates were formed when the c(i)(Mg(2+))/c(i)(Ca(2+)) molar ratios in solution were increased. Addition of sulfate ions, alone, caused formation of spherical calcite polycrystalline aggregates.     

无添加剂条件下文石型碳酸钙晶须制备及影响因素研究

在不加任何结晶控制剂或模板条件下,以CaCl2和Na2CO3为原料,利用复分解反应法制备了具有较好形貌和高长径比,且分布均一的文石型碳酸钙晶须,并利用扫描电镜(SEM)、X-射线粉末衍射(PXRD)和傅里叶转换红外光谱图(FT-IR)等手段对其进行了表征。研究了浓度、滴加速度、反应温度、搅拌速度以及滴加方式等因素对碳酸钙晶须的影响。结果表明最佳制备工艺为:CaC12溶液与Na2CO3溶液的浓度为0.05 mol.L-1,溶液滴加速度为1 mL.min-1,反应体系温度为80℃,搅拌速度为250 r.min-1。