Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 590 |
| Journal | Nature Communications |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Calcium carbonate is an abundant substance that can be created in several mineral forms by the reaction of dissolved carbon dioxide in water with calcium ions. Through biomineralization, organisms can harness and control this process to form various functional materials that can act as anything from shells through to lenses. The early stages of calcium carbonate formation have recently attracted attention as stable prenucleation clusters have been observed, contrary to classical models. Here we show, using computer simulations combined with the analysis of experimental data, that these mineral clusters are made of an ionic polymer, composed of alternating calcium and carbonate ions, with a dynamic topology consisting of chains, branches and rings. The existence of a disordered, flexible and strongly hydrated precursor provides a basis for explaining the formation of other liquid-like amorphous states of calcium carbonate, in addition to the non-classical behaviour during growth of amorphous calcium carbonate.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemistry(all)
- General Chemistry
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- General Physics and Astronomy
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In: Nature Communications, Vol. 2, No. 1, 590, 2011.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Stable prenucleation mineral clusters are liquid-like ionic polymers
AU - Demichelis, Raffaella
AU - Raiteri, Paolo
AU - Gale, Julian D.
AU - Quigley, David
AU - Gebauer, Denis
N1 - Funding Information: Th is work was supported by Australian Research Council grant DP986999 and EPSRC grant EP / H00341X / 1. We thank the Pawsey Centre, iVEC, NCI and HECToR for computing facilities. D.G. thanks Markus Antonietti for discussions regarding the structure of prenucleation clusters.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Calcium carbonate is an abundant substance that can be created in several mineral forms by the reaction of dissolved carbon dioxide in water with calcium ions. Through biomineralization, organisms can harness and control this process to form various functional materials that can act as anything from shells through to lenses. The early stages of calcium carbonate formation have recently attracted attention as stable prenucleation clusters have been observed, contrary to classical models. Here we show, using computer simulations combined with the analysis of experimental data, that these mineral clusters are made of an ionic polymer, composed of alternating calcium and carbonate ions, with a dynamic topology consisting of chains, branches and rings. The existence of a disordered, flexible and strongly hydrated precursor provides a basis for explaining the formation of other liquid-like amorphous states of calcium carbonate, in addition to the non-classical behaviour during growth of amorphous calcium carbonate.
AB - Calcium carbonate is an abundant substance that can be created in several mineral forms by the reaction of dissolved carbon dioxide in water with calcium ions. Through biomineralization, organisms can harness and control this process to form various functional materials that can act as anything from shells through to lenses. The early stages of calcium carbonate formation have recently attracted attention as stable prenucleation clusters have been observed, contrary to classical models. Here we show, using computer simulations combined with the analysis of experimental data, that these mineral clusters are made of an ionic polymer, composed of alternating calcium and carbonate ions, with a dynamic topology consisting of chains, branches and rings. The existence of a disordered, flexible and strongly hydrated precursor provides a basis for explaining the formation of other liquid-like amorphous states of calcium carbonate, in addition to the non-classical behaviour during growth of amorphous calcium carbonate.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84455208857&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/ncomms1604
DO - 10.1038/ncomms1604
M3 - Article
C2 - 22186886
AN - SCOPUS:84455208857
VL - 2
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
IS - 1
M1 - 590
ER -