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Local Heating Transforms Amorphous Calcium Carbonate to Single Crystals with Defined Morphologies
Author(s) -
Zhang Shuheng,
Nahi Ouassef,
He Xuefeng,
Chen Li,
Aslam Zabeada,
Kapur Nikil,
Kim YiYeoun,
Meldrum Fiona C.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.202207019
Subject(s) - nucleation , calcite , materials science , crystallization , amorphous calcium carbonate , amorphous solid , aragonite , calcium carbonate , chemical engineering , amorphous calcium phosphate , biomineralization , transmission electron microscopy , crystallography , chemical physics , mineralogy , nanotechnology , calcium , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , metallurgy
The use of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) as a precursor phase affords organisms with outstanding control over the formation of calcite and aragonite biominerals. Essential to this strategy is that the ACC is maintained within confined volumes in the absence of bulk water. This ensures that the ACC undergoes a pseudomorphic transformation and that the organism can independently control nucleation and growth. However, comparable control has proven hard to achieve in synthetic systems. Here, a straightforward method is demonstrated for controlling the crystallization of ACC thin films in which nucleation is first triggered using a heated probe, and then growth is sustained by incubating the film at a lower temperature. By independently controlling nucleation and growth, sub‐millimeter calcite single crystals can be generated when and where it is desired, morphologies ranging from discs to squares to serpentine strips can be created, and arrays of crystals formed. The mechanism and energetics of crystallization of the ACC are studied using in situ transmission electron microscopy and continuity between the ACC and calcite at the growth front is demonstrated. It is envisaged that this method can be applied to the formation of large single crystals of alternative functional materials that form via amorphous precursor phases.