Evolution Mechanism of Calcium Carbonate in Solution

Calcium carbonate was synthesized in a CaCl₂/NaCO₃ mixed solution by using ethylenedi-aminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as an additive. The thermodynamics and kinetics analyses indicate that although the driving force of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) precipi-tation is always less than that of calcite and vaterite precipitation, the nucleation rate of ACC is greater than that of calcite and vaterite at the initial stage of the precipitation reaction. With the increasing incubation time, vaterite and calcite particles nucleate het-erogeneously by using the as-formed particles as active sites. Scanning electron microscopyimages indicate that the transformation mechanism of ACC and vaterite to calcite is the dissolution-recrystallisation reaction. The presence of EDTA not only improves the stabil-ities of ACC and vaterite, but also leads to forming enlongated, connected rhombohedralcalcite crystals after incubation 7 days in solutions. The ACC and vaterite are stabler in air than in solutions at room temperature, although the dissolution-recrystallisation reaction occurs on the surface.     

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.     

Free energy and structure of calcium carbonate nanoparticles during early stages of crystallization

We introduce a metadynamics based scheme for computing the free energy of nanoparticles as a function of their crystalline order. The method is applied to small nanoparticles of the biomineral calcium carbonate to determine the preferred structure during early stages of crystal growth. For particles 2 nm in diameter, we establish a large energetic preference for amorphous particle morphologies. Particles with partial crystalline order consistent with vaterite are also observed with substantially lower probability. The absence of the stable calcite phase and stability of the amorphous state support recent conjectures that calcite formation starts via the deposition of amorphous calcium carbonate.     

利用室温固态反应制备球霰石型CaCO3粒子

合成形态、大小及结构可人为调控的无机材料是现代材料科学的重要研究方向[1]. 借助于各类有机添加剂及模板剂的调控作用, 可利用溶液合成方法制备出形貌与结构受到有效调控的无机粒子[2,3]. 室温固态化学反应已被成功地应用于多种无机纳米粒子[4]及纳米线[5]的合成, 并显示出高效、节能、无污染和操作简便等优点, 因而在材料合成领域具有应用前景[6].     

Role of Polyelectrolytes in Crystallogenesis of Calcium Carbonate

The effects anionic polyelectrolytes, having various molecular weights and repeating unit structures, on the crystallization of calcium carbonate in supersaturated solutions are studied. The induction times of the crystals grown in the presence of the polymers were optically evaluated; X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) analyses were performed to determine, respectively, their crystalline structures and morphologies. The polyelectrolyte is found to lengthen the induction time and to reduce the size of CaCO₃ nanocrystallites, to an extent depending on the interaction efficiency between the polymer anionic repeating units and the calcium ions. Further, depending on their sizes and their crystalline structures (calcite, vaterite) the nanocrystallites aggregate and yield final calcium carbonate particles having various sizes and morphologies. The data indicate that nanocrystals having vaterite structure, as determined by X-ray analysis, give spherical CaCO₃ final particles, while nanocrystals having calcite structure lead to either acicular or flower shapes of CaCO₃ final particles.     

X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy studies of calcium carbonate electrodeposited on a steel surface

Calcium carbonate was deposited on a stainless steel surface with the use of an electrical potential of 10 V. The crystals formed on the surface were examined with X-ray diffraction and with scanning electron microscopy, which revealed that calcite, vaterite and amorphous calcium carbonate was formed. Two different surface active polymers were added to the solution and their effect on the crystal structure was investigated. It was found that the more hydrophilic of the two polymers promoted calcite growth and suppressed vaterite growth. The more hydrophobic polymer completely inhibited vaterite growth. Both polymers decreased the amount of crystals formed on the steel surface, the more hydrophobic polymer being the most effective. The crystal inhibition efficiency was enhanced close to the cloud point of the polymers. The results were compared with the effect of poly(acrylic acid), a commonly used antiscalant. It was found that poly(acrylic acid) was about as efficient as the more hydrophobic polymer in decreasing the amount of calcium carbonate. At higher concentrations of poly(acrylic acid), almost all of the calcium carbonate precipitated in the amorphous form.     

Time-resolved SAXS study of the effect of a double hydrophilic block-copolymer on the formation of CaCO3 from a supersaturated salt solution

The effect of a double hydrophilic block-copolymer additive (made of polyaspartic acid and polyethyleneglycol, pAsp(10)-b-PEG(110)) on the initial formation of calcium carbonate from a supersaturated salt solution has been studied in situ by means of time-resolved synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). A stopped-flow cell was used for rapidly mixing the 20 mM aqueous reactant solutions of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate. In reference measurements without polymer additive the very rapid formation of primary, overall spherical CaCO(3) particles with a radius of ca. 19 nm and a size polydispersity of ca. 26% was observed within the first 10 ms after mixing. A subsequent, very rapid aggregation of these primary particles was evidenced by a distinct upturn of the SAXS intensity at smallest angles. During the aggregation process the size of the primary particles remained unchanged. From an analysis of the absolute scattering intensity the mass density of these particles was determined to 1.9 g/cm(3). From this rather low density it is concluded that those precursor particles are amorphous, which has been confirmed by simultaneous wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements. Upon adding 200 pm of the block-copolymer no influence on the size, the size polydispersity and morphology of the primary particles, nor on the kinetics of their formation and growth, was found. On the other hand, the subsequent aggregation and precipitation process is considerably slowed down by the additive and smaller aggregates result. The crystalline morphology of the sediment was studied in situ by WAXS ca. 50 min after mixing the reactants. Several diffraction rings could be detected, which indicate that a transformation of the metastable, amorphous precursor particles to randomly oriented vaterite nanocrystallites has taken place. In addition, a few isolated Bragg spots of high intensity were detected, which are attributed to individual, oriented calcite microcrystals that nucleated at the wall of the capillary.     

Control over calcium carbonate phase formation by dendrimer/surfactant templates

Poly(propylene imine) dendrimers that are modified with long alkyl chains self-assemble to form well-defined aggregates. The geometry and surface chemistry of the dendrimer assemblies can be varied through the addition of surfactants. These dendrimer/surfactant aggregates can be tuned to template the formation of the different phases of calcium carbonate. The use of octadecylamine results in the formation of polyhedral aggregates that become embedded within an amorphous calcium carbonate phase that persists in competition with the thermodynamic product, calcite. In combination with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, small spherical aggregates are formed that induce the formation of vaterite. The use of the negatively charged surfactant SDS results in growth retardation by the Ca(2+)-induced agglomeration of dendrimer/surfactant aggregates into giant spherical particles. Eventually these particles become overgrown by rhombohedral calcite.     

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.     

A quasi-time-resolved CryoTEM study of the nucleation of CaCO3 under langmuir monolayers

Calcium carbonate biomineralization uses complex assemblies of macromolecules that control the nucleation, growth, and positioning of the mineral with great detail. To investigate the mechanisms involved in these processes, for many years Langmuir monolayers have been used as model systems. Here, we descibe the use of cryogenic transmission electron microscopy in combination with selected area electron diffraction as a quasi-time-resolved technique to study the very early stages of this process. In this way, we assess the evolution of morphology, polymorphic type, and crystallographic orientation of the calcium carbonate formed. For this, we used a self-assembled Langmuir monolayer of a valine-based bisureido surfactant (1) spread on a CaCl2-containing subphase and deposited on a holey carbon TEM grid. In a controlled environment, the grid is exposed to an atmosphere containing NH3 and CO2 (the (NH4)2CO3 diffusion method) for precisely determined periods of time (reaction times 30-1800 s) before it was plunged into melting ethane. This procedure allows us to observe amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) particles growing from a few tens of nanometers to hundreds of nanometers and then crystallizing to form [00.1] oriented vaterite. The vaterite in turn transforms to yield [10.0] oriented calcite. We also performed the reaction in the absence of monolayer or in the presence of a nondirective monolayer of surfactant containing an oligo(ethylene oxide) 2 head group. Both experiments also showed the formation of a transient amorphous phase followed by a direct conversion into randomly oriented calcite crystals. These results imply the specific though temporary stabilization of the (00.1) vaterite by the monolayer. However, experiments performed at higher CaCl2 concentrations show the direct conversion of ACC into [10.0] oriented calcite. Moreover, prolonged exposure to the electron beam shows that this transformation can take place as a topotactic process. The formation of the (100) calcite as final product under different conditions shows that the surfactant is very effective in directing the formation of this crystal plane. In addition, we present evidence that more than one type of ACC is involved in the processes described.     

双亲水性嵌段共聚物对CaCO3结晶的影响

以合成的带有磺酸基为端基的线型-超支化二嵌段共聚物PEG-b-PEI-SO3H为模板,探讨了其对CaCO3结晶的影响,并用FTIR、XRD、SEM、TEM等对产物进行了表征.结果表明,带有—SO3H端基的线型-超支化双亲水性嵌段共聚物PEG-b-PEI-SO3H对CaCO3晶体形貌和晶型表现出较强的调控能力.培养1天时得到空心环状方解石型CaCO3晶体,但当培养时间为3天和5天时,得到的CaCO3晶体形貌既有河蚌状也有类球状,同时其晶型既有方解石也有球霰石,而当培养时间达到7天后,得到的就只有球状球霰石CaCO3晶体.     

Controlled deposition of calcium carbonate particles on porous membranes by using alternating current system

The deposition of calcium carbonate particles in the absence of additives was performed through the application of an alternating current. Solutions of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate were filled in glass cells, and a porous polymer membrane was interposed between the glass cells. An alternating current with a sine waveform (frequency: 10 Hz) was applied by using a platinum electrode. In this process, the reciprocal migration of calcium and carbonate ions toward the interface of the pores on the membrane takes place. Moreover, ion mixing occurs to a small extent at the interface of the pores. An alternating current was applied for 30 min during which the ion mixing continued. When observed using a scanning electron microscope, a majority of the formed calcium carbonate particles was found to exhibit a spheroidal vaterite crystal structure. This crystal structure was confirmed to be vaterite after characterization by X-ray diffraction. In the absence of an alternating current, only calcite was formed on the porous polymer membrane. Taking this result into account, it was concluded that the alternating current could induce reciprocal ion migration through the pores of the membrane, and vaterite deposition can be achieved. This is one of the methods employed for the calcium carbonate formation on the porous membrane by using an alternating current system.     

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.     

Crystallization and Transformation Mechanism of Calcium Carbonate Polymorphs and the Effect of Magnesium Ion

The crystallization of calcium carbonate was carried out by mixing CaCl(2) and Na(2)CO(3) solutions. The morphology of precursor formed prior to the nucleation of the polymorphous crystals (calcite and vaterite) varies depending on the feed concentration. The faster nucleation rate of polymorphous crystals in 0.2 mol/L than in 0.05 mol/L solution results in the prompt disappearance of the precursor at 0.2 mol/L. In 0.05 mol/L solutions the lifetime of the precursor is relatively long. The crystallization fraction of vaterite increases with the feed concentration and decreases with the addition rate of Na(2)CO(2) solution. Vaterite takes on the various morphologies of the aggregates of the primary flocculation body (spherulite) depending on the crystallization conditions. Vaterite transforms to calcite by a direct solution-mediated mechanism. During crystallization the concentration attains a stationary value, which increases with the feed concentration and decreases with the addition rate of Na(2)CO(2) solution. This may be due to the crystal size decrease expected from the Gibbs-Kelvin equation. Magnesium ion suppresses the transformation of vaterite by inhibiting the growth of the calcite. Magnesium ion is selectively included in calcite and causes the increase of the attained concentration and the remarkable change in the morphology of calcite especially in 0.05 mol/L solution. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Bioinspired mineralization of inorganics from aqueous media controlled by synthetic polymers

The formation of inorganic structures in nature is commonly controlled by biogenic macromolecules. The understanding of mineralization phenomena and the nucleation and growth mechanisms involved is still a challenge in science but also of great industrial interest. This article focuses on the formation and mineralization of two archetypical inorganic materials: zinc oxide and amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). Zinc oxide is selected as a model compound to investigate the role that polymers play in mineralization. Most of the effort has been devoted to the investigation of the effects of double-hydrophilic block and graft copolymers. Recent work has demonstrated that latex particles synthesized by miniemulsion polymerization, properly functionalized by various chemical groups, have similar effects to conventional block copolymers and are excellently suited for morphology control of ZnO crystals. Latex particles might serve as analogues of natural proteins in biomineralization. The second example presented, ACC, addresses the issue of whether this amorphous phase is an intermediate in the biomineralization of calcite, vaterite, or aragonite. Conditions under which amorphous calcium carbonate can be obtained as nanometer-sized spheres as a consequence of a liquid-liquid phase segregation are presented. Addition of specific block copolymers allows control of the particle size from the micrometer to the submicrometer length scale. The physical properties of novel materials synthesized from concentrated solution and their potential applications as a filler of polymers are also discussed.     

Continuous Preparation of Calcite,Aragonite and Vaterite,and of Magnesium‐Substituted Amorphous Calcium Carbonate (Mg‐ACC)

The three water‐free calcium carbonate polymorphs calcite, aragonite and vaterite were prepared from aqueous solutions without additives using standard laboratory equipment in a continuous process. Variation parameters were the way of mixing, the solution concentrations, and the reactor residence time. The samples were crystallographically and chemically pure, but a thorough elemental analysis revealed the presence of small amounts of sodium carbonate which was not detectable by X‐ray powder diffraction. The continuous process avoids the inherent variability of batch syntheses. By adapting the crystallization parameters, magnesium‐substituted amorphous calcium carbonate (molar ratio of Mg:Ca of 1:2.68) was prepared in this continuous process.     

Formation Process and Thermodynamic Poperties of Calcite

The fast mixing of aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate resulted in crystalline forms of vaterite and calcite under vigorous stirring. Then, the vaterite was transformed to pure calcite within about 180 rain. The crystalline forms all grew with experimental time increase. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy （XRD） techniques were employed to characterize the as-prepared samples. The heat capacity of the stable as-synthesized calcite was determined by means of an adiabatic calorimeter from 80 to 390 K. The thermodynamic functions of the calcite were derived based on the relationships among the thermodynamic functions and the function of the measured heat capacity with respect to temperature.     

Calcium Carbonate Polyamorphism and Its Role in Biomineralization: How Many Amorphous Calcium Carbonates Are There?

Although the polymorphism of calcium carbonate is well known, and its polymorphs—calcite, aragonite, and vaterite—have been highly studied in the context of biomineralization, polyamorphism is a much more recently discovered phenomenon, and the existence of more than one amorphous phase of calcium carbonate in biominerals has only very recently been understood. Here we summarize what is known about polyamorphism in calcium carbonate as well as what is understood about the role of amorphous calcium carbonate in biominerals. We show that consideration of the amorphous forms of calcium carbonate within the physical notion of polyamorphism leads to new insights when it comes to the mechanisms by which polymorphic structures can evolve in the first place. This not only has implications for our understanding of biomineralization, but also of the means by which crystallization may be controlled in medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial contexts.     

Thermally induced transformations of calcium carbonate polymorphs precipitated selectively in ethanol/water solutions

For the precipitation of calcium carbonate polymorphs in ethanol/water solutions of calcium chloride by the diffusion of the gases produced by sublimation–decomposition of solid ammonium carbonate, polymorph selection and morphology control of the precipitates were demonstrated by the effect of ethanol/water ratio in the mother liquor. The precipitated phases change systematically from gel-like aggregates of hydrated amorphous calcium carbonate in the absolute ethanol solution to well-shaped rhombohedral particles of calcite in the absolute aqueous solution via almost pure phase of vaterite with dendrite structure in 75%-ethanol/25%-aqueous and 50%-ethanol/50%-aqueous solutions. On heating the precipitated sample in flowing dry nitrogen, all the samples transformed to calcite before the thermal decomposition, where the thermal decomposition temperature shifts to higher temperatures with increasing the water content in the mother liquor due to the systematic increase in the particle size of calcite. Accordingly, the present method of controlled precipitation of calcium carbonate polymorphs is also useful to control the particle size and reactivity of calcite produced by heating the precipitates. Selecting vaterite with dendrite structure from the present series of precipitated samples, the structural phase transition to calcite was characterized as the three-dimensional growth of rhombohedral particles of calcite with the enthalpy change ΔH = ? 2.8 ± 0.1 kJ mol^?1 and the apparent activation energy E_a = 289.9 ± 5.8 kJ mol^?1.     

P(St-co-MAA)乳液体系对CaCO3结晶的调控

大量研究表明, 有机/无机界面上的相互作用[1]是控制无机结晶的晶型、形貌、粒径等特征的决定因素. 本文利用乳液聚合方法合成了在诱导无机矿化后依然保持较为刚性界面的、能与无机离子作用的微球, 并在乳液中进行碳酸钙结晶实验, 用XRD, FTIR和SEM等手段对结晶进行了表征.