Crystallization of inorganic compounds in polymer solutions. Part I: Control of shape and form of calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate was precipitated by mixing aqueous solutions of sodium carbonate and calcium nitrate in the presence of water-soluble polymers. When the former was poured into the latter, in which a certain amount of sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) was dissolved, monodisperse spherical crystals were created. The crystal form was vaterite, although, in the absence of the polymer, calcite crystals were obtained in rhombic shape. The factors deciding the shape and form of the crystal were investigated and the role of polymer in the formation of unique crystals was discussed.     

Formation of stable vaterite with poly(acrylic acid) by the delayed addition method

The crystallization of CaCO3 was examined by changing the addition time of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) to an aqueous solution of calcium carbonate by selectively interacting with the crystal at different stages during the crystal-forming process. The precipitation of CaCO3 was carried out by a double jet method to prevent heterogeneous nucleation on glass walls, and the sodium salt of PAA was added by a delayed addition method. In the initial presence of PAA in an aqueous solution of calcium carbonate, PAA acted as an inhibitor for the nucleation and growth of crystallization. However, it was found that stable vaterite particles were successfully obtained by delaying the addition of PAA from 1 to 60 min. The vaterite particles were stable in the aqueous solution for more than 30 days, and the CaCO3 particles were formed by a spherulitic growth mechanism. It is suggested that PAA strongly binds with the Ca2+ ion on the surface of CaCO3 particles to stabilize the unstable vaterite form effectively. Upon changing the addition time of PAA, we found that CaCO3 particles were formed through different formation mechanisms in selectively controlled crystallization at different stages during the crystallization process.     

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.     

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.     

交流电在Al_2O_3模板中沉积金属机理探讨

以铝阳极氧化形成有序的多孔氧化铝为模板,利用交流电在模板孔洞中沉积金属Ag得到纳米Ag粒子/Al2O3组装体系,透射电镜观察证实在氧化铝模板中有金属纳米Ag粒子存在.分析了交流电能在孔洞中沉积金属的原因是由于Al/Al2O3界面的整流特性,测量了Al/Al2O3界面的I－U关系曲线.     

交流电在Al2O3模板中沉积金属机理探讨

以铝阳极氧化形成有序的多孔氧化铝为模板,利用交流电在模板孔洞中沉积金属Ag得到纳米Ag粒子/Al2O3组装体系,透射电镜观察证实在氧化铝模板中有金属纳米Ag粒子存在.分析了交流电能在孔洞中沉积金属的原因是由于Al/Al2O3界面的整流特性,测量了Al/Al2O3界面的I－U关系曲线.     

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.     

Morphological control of calcium carbonate crystallized in reverse micelle system with anionic surfactants SDS and AOT

The influence of a surfactant over water on the polymorphism and crystal size of calcium carbonate produced by reaction crystallization in microemulsion systems was investigated in a mixing tank reactor. The crystallization was induced by the reaction between two aqueous micelle solutions (Na2CO3-CaCl2) stabilized by anionic surfactants, SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) or AOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate). With increasing surfactant ratio to water, the water-in-oil microemulsion was stably developed and the morphology of the calcium carbonate crystallized in the micelles sharply transformed from calcite to vaterite. The influence of SDS on the polymorphism and crystal size of calcium carbonate was much clearer than that of AOT. In addition, with AOT, certain step changes in the morphology and crystal size occurred around a surfactant ratio to water (R=[H2O]/[surfactant]) of 15 due to a two-phase separation of the microemulsion.     

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.     

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.     

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...     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Colloid-templated multisectional porous polymeric fibers

A fabrication method for porous polymeric fibers (PPFs) is reported. We show that a multisectional colloidal crystal can be assembled within a microcapillary by alternating dipping into colloidal solutions of varying size. Subsequent infiltration with curable polymer and washing with suitable solvents results in porous fibers with a cylindrical cross section. Along the length of the fiber, alternating sections of controlled length, pore size, and pore size distribution exist. These fibers present interesting materials for neural scaffolding, catalysis, and possibly photonics if produced with a high degree of crystallinity. The surface pores and bulk porosity of the fibers are characterized by variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy (vp-SEM). Careful analysis shows that the surface pores vary with the colloidal template diameter and polymer infiltration time.     

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.     

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.     

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].     

聚乙烯醇多孔膜的制备

以醋酸乙烯酯微乳液聚合所得的微乳粒子为占孔物质,通过辅助倒相法制备了聚乙烯醇多孔膜,其中部分孔的尺寸与占孔微乳粒子的大小相近（小于300nm)。利用透射电镜观测微乳粒子的大小和形态并且在扫描电镜下观察PVA多孔膜的孔形态,探讨了通过控制微乳粒子粒径以实现多孔膜孔径调节的可行性。     

Homogeneous Precipitation of Calcium Carbonates by Enzyme Catalyzed Reaction

Catalytic decomposition of urea by urease in aqueous calcium chloride solutions was used to rapidly prepare calcium carbonate polymorphs at room temperature. The nature of the resulting particles depended on the concentration of the enzyme and, in a strong manner, on the agitation of the reacting solutions. In an undisturbed system an amorphous precipitate is formed first, which readily crystallized to vaterite and upon aging changed to calcite. Under the influence of magnetic stirring, the amorphous phase could be not observed; instead smaller particles were initially obtained, which aggregated to vaterite and calcite. Similarly, the application of ultrasonic energy produced small vaterite particles at the early stages. It is apparent that enzyme macromolecules are important in the development of calcite faces and, as such, they exert significant influence on calcite morphology, without being present in detectable amounts in the resulting solids. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.