Self-organization of hollow-cone carbonate crystals through molecular control with an acid organic polymer

Abstract

Hollow-cone morphologies have been formed on carbonate crystals of calcite, aragonite and vaterite through molecular control with an organic acid polymer. The macroscopic conical shapes featured hollow interiors and consisted of oriented nanocrystals mixed with this organic polymer, or mesocrystals. At submicrometer scales, the mesocrystal structures are mediated by the interaction of the organic polymers. The macroscopic hollow-cone shapes were formed through the directed growth of the mesocrystals under diffusion-controlled conditions. Because biological macromolecules control the growth of biominerals, a molecular-control approach was used in this study to induce the self-organization of hierarchical architectures. © 2012 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ) All rights reserved.