Effects of amino acids on crystal growth of CaC2O4 in reverse microemulsion

Crystal growth of calcium oxalate (CaC2O4) in bulk aqueous solution, reverse microemulsion of p-octyl polyethylene glycol phenylether (OP)/iso-octyl alcohol (IOA)/cydohexane/water and above microemulsions containing different kinds of amino acids, such as aspartic acid (Asp), tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) were studied. The results indicated that different crystallization types of the crystals, which were calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) and calcium oxalate trihydrate (COT), existed in bulk aqueous solution. But CaC2O4 growth mainly paralleled with (1 01) plane of COM in reverse microemulsion because of the induction of surfactant at water/oil interface. After adding amino acids into microemulsions, the growth of CaC2O4 crystals mainly influenced by the varieties of amino acids and the pH values of the amino acid aqueous solution. When pH values of the solutions was higher than isoelectric points of amino acids, CaC2O4 crystal paralleled with (1 01) plane of COM more easily with the addition of Trp, Tyr, Asp in turn; however, when pH of the solutions was lower than isoelectric points of Trp, CaC2O4 crystal growth paralleled with (020) face of COM. It is obviously that amino acids, pH values of the solutions and surfactant played important roles in the process of crystal growth of CaC2O4 in the microemulsions. The formation mechanism of CaC2O4 was also discussed in different microemulsions at last.