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.     

Stable Prenucleation Calcium Carbonate Clusters Define Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) is an intermediate step during the precipitation of calcium carbonate, and is assumed to play a key role in biomineralization processes. Here, we have developed a model where ion association thermodynamics in homogeneous phases determine the liquid–liquid miscibility gap of the aqueous calcium carbonate system, verified experimentally using potentiometric titrations, and kinetic studies based on stopped‐flow ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy. The proposed mechanism explains the variable solubilities of solid amorphous calcium carbonates, reconciling previously inconsistent literature values. Accounting for liquid–liquid amorphous polymorphism, the model also provides clues to the mechanism of polymorph selection. It is general and should be tested for systems other than calcium carbonate to provide a new perspective on the physical chemistry of LLPS mechanisms based on stable prenucleation clusters rather than un‐/metastable fluctuations in biomineralization, and beyond.     

Fabrication of Tubular Structure Agglomerates of Calcium Carbonate by Using Collodion Film

A novel and simple method for preparing tubular structure agglomerates of calcium carbonate (CC-tube) is described. Calcium chloride and sodium carbonate aqueous solutions were used as reactants separated by a collodion film (a nitrocellulose material) in aqueous solution. The effects of the concentrations of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate aqueous solutions on the morphology and phase structure of the as-obtained samples were investigated. The CC-tube growth was prevented with the increase of reactant concentration from 0.5 to 1.0 mol•L－1. Compared with Na2CO3 aqueous solution, it is favourable to grow calcite crystals in CaCl2 aqueous solution. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron- microscopy.     

Effect of adsorption of polyhexamethyleneguanidine derivatives on the formation rate,morphology, and phase composition of carbonate deposits

It was found that introduction of polyhexamethylguanidines modified with carboxy and phosphonic groups into a saturated solution of calcium carbonate affects the formation rate, morphology, and phase composition of the deposits being formed, with crystals in the deposit becoming coarser and rhombic structures appearing. These phenomena were manifested to a greater extent when zinc complexes of polyelectrolytes are present in solution. An analysis of the phase composition of the deposit demonstrated that the presence of polyelectrolytes and their zinc complexes in solution leads to an increase in the amount of the calcite phase. The reason why the phase composition and morphology of the deposits changes is that polyelectrolytes and their complexes are adsorbed on the surface of carbonate deposits. The adsorption of polyelectrolytes on a calcium carbonate powder is described by the Langmuir isotherm and the formation of their zinc complexes leads to an increase in the adsorption equilibrium constant by more than a factor of 2, which is due to the change in the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of macromolecules in complexation.     

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.     

Regulation of Microstructure of Calcium Carbonate Crystals by Egg White Protein

Crystal growth of calcium carbonate in biological simulation was investigated via egg white protein with different volume fractions,during which calcium carbonate was synthesized by calcium chloride an...     

The growth of crystals in solution

The crystallization of sparingly soluble salts from their aqueous supersaturated solutions is discussed from the standpoint of two important applications; scale formation and biological mineralization. Theories of crystal growth are outlined and the importance of kinetic factors in determining the nature of the growing phases is discussed. The kinetic factors can be studied by using a highly reproducible seeded growth technique and under certain conditions secondary nucleation can also be induced on the surface of the inoculating seed crystals. The kinetics of crystallization of the alkaline earth surfaces and the calcium phosphates is discussed. In the latter systems, temperature, supersaturation, surface concentration, pH, ionic strength and the presence of foreign ions are important in determining the nature of the phase which grows on the added seed crystals. The mechanism of the retardation of crystal growth by added crystallization inhibitors is illustrated by the influence of organic phosphonate molecules upon the precipitation of calcium carbonate.     

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.     

柠檬酸钠与碳酸钙晶型和形貌的控制

晶体的晶型和形貌是碳酸钙制备中的关键问题之一。 采用尿素水解均匀沉淀法来控制碳酸钙的晶型和形貌。 利用XRD和SEM等技术手段对CaCO₃晶体的结构和形貌进行了表征。 结果表明,高温条件下(90 ℃)水溶液中得到均匀的针状结构的文石晶体。 添加适量柠檬酸钠后,则得到的是特殊形貌的方解石晶体。 在乙醇/水混合溶剂中,柠檬酸钠对CaCO₃晶体的形貌也有重要影响,通过改变乙醇体积分数,得到了中空绒毛球状的球霰石。     

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.     

海螺状碳酸钙的可控合成与荧光性能

采用液相沉淀法,以硝酸铋[Bi(NO_3)_3]为添加剂来调控碳酸钙晶体的形状与大小,制备了海螺状碳酸钙粒子.通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、热重分析仪(TGA)、原子荧光光谱仪(AFS)等对产物的结构和性能进行了表征.结果表明,在60℃条件下,添加20 mL浓度为2 g/L的Bi(NO_3)_3溶液可得到海螺状球霰石型碳酸钙粒子,且其荧光性明显增强.在碳酸钙的成核过程中,Bi~(3+)的加入起到了显著的调控作用.     

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.     

Calcium carbonate phase transformations during the carbonation reaction of calcium heavy alkylbenzene sulfonate overbased nanodetergents preparation

The preparation and application of overbased nanodetergents with excess alkaline calcium carbonate is a good example of nanotechnology in practice. The phase transformation of calcium carbonate is of extensive concern since CaCO(3) serves both as an important industrial filling material and as the most abundant biomineral in nature. Industrially valuable overbased nanodetergents have been prepared based on calcium salts of heavy alkylbenzene sulfonate by a one-step process under ambient pressure, the carbonation reaction has been monitored by the instantaneous temperature changes and total base number (TBN). A number of analytical techniques such as TGA, DLS, SLS, TEM, FTIR, and XRD have been utilized to explore the carbonation reaction process and phase transformation mechanism of calcium carbonate. An enhanced understanding on the phase transformation of calcium carbonate involved in calcium sulfonate nanodetergents has been achieved and it has been unambiguously demonstrated that amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) transforms into the vaterite polymorph rather than calcite, which would be of crucial importance for the preparation and quality control of lubricant additives and greases. Our results also show that a certain amount of residual Ca(OH)(2) prevents the phase transformation from ACC to crystalline polymorphs. Moreover, a vaterite nanodetergent has been prepared for the first time with low viscosity, high base number, and uniform particle size, nevertheless a notable improvement on its thermal stability is required for potential applications.     

Differentiating calcium carbonate polymorphs by surface analysis techniques—an XPS and TOF‐SIMS study

Calcium carbonate has evoked interest owing to its use as a biomaterial, and for its potential in biomineralization. Three polymorphs of calcium carbonate, i.e. calcite, aragonite, and vaterite were synthesized. Three conventional bulk analysis techniques, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and SEM, were used to confirm the crystal phase of each polymorphic calcium carbonate. Two surface analysis techniques, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF‐SIMS), were used to differentiate the surfaces of these three polymorphs of calcium carbonate. XPS results clearly demonstrate that the surfaces of these three polymorphs are different as seen in the Ca(2p) and O(1s) core‐level spectra. The different atomic arrangement in the crystal lattice, which provides for a different chemical environment, can explain this surface difference. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the TOF‐SIMS data. Three polymorphs of calcium carbonate cluster into three different groups by PCA scores. This suggests that surface analysis techniques are as powerful as conventional bulk analysis to discriminate calcium carbonate polymorphs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of anodic spark oxidation by pulse power on titanium substrates

The characteristics of the oxide layer of titanium generated by anodic spark oxidation are affected significantly by the process variables. In this study, electrochemical treatments were performed while applying a direct current, a pulse current, and a reverse pulse current during anodic spark oxidation. A mixed solution of 0.015 M DL‐α‐GP (DL‐α‐glycerophosphate disodium salt) and 0.2 M CA (calcium acetate) was used as the electrolyte. The pore size generated after anodic spark oxidation was smallest in the group exposed to the reverse pulse current followed in order by the pulse current and direct current. Anatase was the major crystal phase of the TiO₂ produced on the surfaces subjected to 280 V, and the rutile phase was additionally detected in the group subjected to 320 V. The crystals precipitated on the surface after the hydrothermal treatment were hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals that had a polygonal bar‐shaped needle structure. Good activity was observed in the 320‐V pulse treated group, in which very thin needle‐shaped crystals were observed after immersing the samples in Hanks' solution for 4 weeks. The cell viability was increased greatly by anodic spark oxidation, and the surface roughness was also increased. It is believed that the surface treated using a pulse current has excellent characteristics, making it suitable for applications in biomaterials. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glass capillary columns with liquid crystalline stationary phases for gas chromatography. The influence of the pretreatment of the inside tube wall

Summary The importance of capillary columns prepared with a liquid crystalline stationary phase are increasing. It is known that the interaction of the liquid crystals molecules with the glass capillary wall may strongly influence selectivity and efficiency of the column. The paper reports on systematic investigations on the correlations between the pretreatment of the inside glass capillary surface, the chemical nature of the liquid crystal and the chromatographic properties of the columns obtained. Two types of matrix were investigated: barium carbonate and barium carbonate with subsequent deactivation with Carbowaxes. Three liquid crystals with different relative polarity (terminal group polarity) and nematic mezophase transitions were used. Deposition of barium carbonate, if necessary, with a secondary Carbowax treatment was found as an excellent capillary wall pretreatment method. Presented at the 15th International Symposium on Chromatography, Nürnberg, October 1984     

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.     

Composite phospholipid-calcium carbonate microparticles: influence of anionic phospholipids on the crystallization of calcium carbonate

The synthesis and characterization of calcium carbonate microparticles by reaction of calcium chloride and ammonium bicarbonate in the presence of negatively charged phospholipid mixtures of negative and zwitterionic phospholipids has been reported. Negatively charged phospholipids influence the crystal morphology of calcium carbonate and induce the formation of thermodynamically less stable veterite polymorph as opposed to calcite polymorph. The phospholipids are entrapped in the calcium carbonate microparticles during the crystallization process, with a uniform distribution of phospholipids in the interior of the microparticles. This phenomenon was exploited to encapsulate a model hydrophobic fluorophore, the tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II) dichloride complex, to simulate encapsulation of hydrophobic drug molecules. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that, in these microparticles, the calcium carbonate and the phospholipid exhibit strong interactions.     

Bacterially induced mineralization of calcium carbonate: the role of exopolysaccharides and capsular polysaccharides.

Bacterially induced carbonate mineralization has been proposed as a new method for the restoration of limestones in historic buildings and monuments. We describe here the formation of calcite crystals by extracellular polymeric substances isolated from Bacillus firmus and Bacillus sphaericus. We isolated bacterial outer structures (glycocalix and parietal polymers), such as exopolysaccharides (EPS) and capsular polysaccharides (CPS) and checked for their influence on calcite precipitation. CPS and EPS extracted from both B. firmus and B. sphaericus were able to mediate CaCO3 precipitation in vitro. X-ray microanalysis showed that in all cases the formed crystals were calcite. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the shape of the crystals depended on the fractions utilized. These results suggest the possibility that biochemical composition of CPS or EPS influences the resulting morphology of CaCO3. There were no precipitates in the blank samples. CPS and EPS comprised of proteins and glycoproteins. Positive alcian blue staining also reveals acidic polysaccharides in CPS and EPS fractions. Proteins with molecular masses of 25-40 kDa and 70 kDa in the CPS fraction were highly expressed in the presence of calcium oxalate. This high level of synthesis could be related to the binding of calcium ions and carbonate deposition.     

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。