Precipitation and Crystallization Kinetics in Silica Gardens.

Silica gardens are extraordinary plant-like structures resulting from the complex interplay of relatively simple inorganic components. Recent work has highlighted that macroscopic self-assembly is accompanied by the spontaneous formation of considerable chemical gradients, which induce a cascade of coupled dissolution, diffusion, and precipitation processes occurring over timescales as long as several days. In the present study, this dynamic behavior was investigated for silica gardens based on iron and cobalt chloride by means of two synchrotron-based techniques, which allow the determination of concentration profiles and time-resolved monitoring of diffraction patterns, thus giving direct insight into the progress of dissolution and crystallization phenomena in the system. On the basis of the collected data, a kinetic model is proposed to describe the relevant reactions on a fundamental physicochemical level. The results show that the choice of the metal cations (as well as their counterions) is crucial for the development of silica gardens in both the short and long term (i.e. during tube formation and upon subsequent slow equilibration), and provide important clues for understanding the properties of related structures in geochemical and industrial environments.

Experimental techniques for the growth and characterization of silica biomorphs and silica gardens.

Silica biomorphs and silica gardens are canonical examples of precipitation phenomena yielding self-assembled nanocrystalline composite materials with outstanding properties in terms of morphology and texture. Both types of structures form spontaneously in alkaline environments and rely on simple, and essentially similar, chemistry. However, the underlying growth processes are very sensitive to a range of experimental parameters, distinct preparation procedures, and external conditions. In this chapter, we report detailed protocols for the synthesis of these extraordinary biomimetic materials and identify critical aspects as well as advantages and disadvantages of different approaches. Furthermore, modifications of established standard procedures are reviewed and discussed with respect to their benefit for the control over morphogenesis and the reproducibility of the experiments in both cases. Finally, we describe currently used techniques for the characterization of these fascinating structures and devise promising ways to analyze their growth behavior and formation mechanisms in situ and as a function of time.

The effect of silica on polymorphic precipitation of calcium carbonate: an on-line energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) study.

Calcium carbonate is the most abundant biomineral and a compound of great industrial importance. Its precipitation from solution has been studied extensively and was often shown to proceed via distinct intermediate phases, which undergo sequential transformations before eventually yielding the stable crystalline polymorph, calcite. In the present work, we have investigated the crystallisation of calcium carbonate in a time-resolved and non-invasive manner by means of energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) using synchrotron radiation. In particular, the role of silica as a soluble additive during the crystallisation process was examined. Measurements were carried out at different temperatures (20, 50 and 80 °C) and various silica concentrations. Experiments conducted in the absence of silica reflect the continuous conversion of kinetically formed metastable polymorphs (vaterite and aragonite) to calcite and allow for quantifying the progress of transformation. Addition of silica induced remarkable changes in the temporal evolution of polymorphic fractions existing in the system. Essentially, the formation of calcite was found to be accelerated at 20 °C, whereas marked retardation or complete inhibition of phase transitions was observed at higher temperatures. These findings are explained in terms of a competition between the promotional effect of silica on calcite growth rates and kinetic stabilisation of vaterite and aragonite due to adsorption (or precipitation) of silica on their surfaces, along with temperature-dependent variations of silica condensation rates. Data collected at high silica concentrations indicate the presence of an amorphous phase over extended frames of time, suggesting that initially generated ACC particles are progressively stabilised by silica. Our results may have important implications for CaCO3 precipitation scenarios in both geochemical and industrial settings, where solution silicate is omnipresent, as well as for CO2 sequestration technologies.

Monitoring and scoring counter-diffusion protein crystallization experiments in capillaries by in situ dynamic light scattering.

In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of using in situ Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) to monitor counter-diffusion crystallization experiments in capillaries. Firstly, we have validated the quality of the DLS signal in thin capillaries, which is comparable to that obtained in standard quartz cuvettes. Then, we have carried out DLS measurements of a counter-diffusion crystallization experiment of glucose isomerase in capillaries of different diameters (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mm) in order to follow the temporal evolution of protein supersaturation. Finally, we have compared DLS data with optical recordings of the progression of the crystallization front and with a simulation model of counter-diffusion in 1D.

Local autocatalytic co-precipitation phenomena in self-assembled silica-carbonate materials.

Under certain conditions, precipitation of barium carbonate in alkaline silica-rich environments affords unusual polycrystalline aggregates exhibiting curved shapes and hierarchical structuring, very much reminiscent of biogenic mineral tissues. The formation of these so-called silica biomorphs is thought to rely on a coupling of chemical equilibria in solution, which drives concerted co-mineralization and self-assembly of components. In the present work, we have studied the effect of fluid motion on morphogenesis by conducting syntheses in media stirred at different rates and exposed to an ultrasonic field, respectively. The traced growth behavior is discussed on the basis of statistical analyses of the occurring morphologies as well as in terms of expected changes in the supersaturation of the system. It is shown that the observed complex architectures arise as a consequence of an autocatalytic precipitation cycle, during which evolving aggregates synthesize and organize their constituents on their own upon growth. These processes occur only at a local scale within a certain active region that appears to extend over some microns beyond the growth front. Our findings provide concrete experimental evidence supporting the proposed formation mechanism and suggest that growth of silica biomorphs is independent of mass transport from the bulk, unless forced convection becomes strong enough to affect the active region and hence interfere with autocatalysis.

Growth behavior and kinetics of self-assembled silica-carbonate biomorphs.

Upon slow crystallization from silica-containing solutions or gels at elevated pH, alkaline-earth carbonates spontaneously self-assemble into remarkable nanocrystalline ultrastructures. These so-called silica biomorphs exhibit curved morphologies beyond crystallographic symmetry and ordered textures reminiscent of the hierarchical design found in many biominerals. The formation of these fascinating materials is thought to be driven by a dynamic coupling of the components' speciations in solution, which causes concerted autocatalytic mineralization of silica-stabilized nanocrystals over hours. In the present work, we have studied the precipitation kinetics of this unique system by determining growth rates of individual aggregates using video microscopy, and correlated the results with time-dependent data on the concentration of metal ions and pH acquired online during crystallization. In this manner, insight to the evolution of chemical conditions during growth was gained. It is shown that crystallization proceeds linearly with time and is essentially reaction controlled, which fits well in the proposed morphogenetic scenario, and thus, indirectly supports it. Measurements of the silica concentration in solution, combined with analyses of crystal aggregates isolated at distinct stages of morphogenesis, further demonstrate that the fraction of silica coprecipitated with carbonate during active growth is rather small. We discuss our findings with respect to the role of silica in the formation of biomorphs, and moreover, prove that the external silica skins that occasionally sheath the aggregates--previously supposed to be involved in the growth mechanism--originate from secondary precipitation after growth is already terminated.

Stabilization of amorphous calcium carbonate in inorganic silica-rich environments.

In biomineralization, living organisms carefully control the crystallization of calcium carbonate to create functional materials and thereby often take advantage of polymorphism by stabilizing a specific phase that is most suitable for a given demand. In particular, the lifetime of usually transient amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) seems to be thoroughly regulated by the organic matrix, so as to use it either as an intermediate storage depot or directly as a structural element in a permanently stable state. In the present study, we show that the temporal stability of ACC can be influenced in a deliberate manner also in much simpler purely abiotic systems. To illustrate this, we have monitored the progress of calcium carbonate precipitation at high pH from solutions containing different amounts of sodium silicate. It was found that growing ACC particles provoke spontaneous polymerization of silica in their vicinity, which is proposed to result from a local decrease of pH nearby the surface. This leads to the deposition of hydrated amorphous silica layers on the ACC grains, which arrest growth and alter the size of the particles. Depending on the silica concentration, these skins have different thicknesses and exhibit distinct degrees of porosity, therefore impeding to varying extents the dissolution of ACC and energetically favored transformation to calcite. Under the given conditions, crystallization of calcium carbonate was slowed down over tunable periods or completely prevented on time scales of years, even when ACC coexisted side by side with calcite in solution.

Morphogenesis of self-assembled nanocrystalline materials of barium carbonate and silica.

The precipitation of barium or strontium carbonates in alkaline silica-rich environments leads to crystalline aggregates that have been named silica/carbonate biomorphs because their morphology resembles that of primitive organisms. These aggregates are self-assembled materials of purely inorganic origin, with an amorphous phase of silica intimately intertwined with a carbonate nanocrystalline phase. We propose a mechanism that explains all the morphologies described for biomorphs. Chemically coupled coprecipitation of carbonate and silica leads to fibrillation of the growing front and to laminar structures that experience curling at their growing rim. These curls propagate in a surflike way along the rim of the laminae. We show that all observed morphologies with smoothly varying positive or negative Gaussian curvatures can be explained by the combined growth of counterpropagating curls and growing laminae.

VUV photon induced fluorescence study of SF5CF3.

The interaction of SF(5)CF(3) with vacuum-UV radiation has been investigated by photon induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Total fluorescence yield and dispersed fluorescence spectra of SF(5)CF(3) were recorded in the 200-1000 nm fluorescence window. In all cases, the fluorescence spectra resemble those of CF(3)X (X = H, F, Cl, and Br) molecules. At photon energies below 20 eV, the emission is attributed to the excited CF(3) and CF(2) fragments. The threshold for the CF(3) emission is 10.2 +/- 0.2 eV, giving an upper limit estimate for the SF(5)-CF(3) bond dissociation energy of 3.9 +/- 0.3 eV. The excitation functions of the CF(3) and CF(2) emissions were measured in the photon energy range 13.6-27.0 eV. The resonant structures observed in SF(5)CF(3) are attributed to electronic transitions from valence to Rydberg orbitals, following similar assignments in CF(3)X molecules. The photoabsorption spectrum of SF(5)CF(3) shows features at the same energies, indicating a strong contribution from Rydberg excitations.