Synthesis of strontium carbonate rods and hierarchical branches in the presence of two organic additives

Abstract

Strontium carbonate (SrCO3) crystals have been synthesized in the presence of two organic additives, including sodium citrate and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT). Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffractometry and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) were used to characterize the products. The results indicate that SrCO3 rods with the ratio of length to diameter about 20 are obtained in the aqueous solution containing sodium citrate. While polycrystalline SrCO3 hierarchical branches with about 10 um length are produced by using HMT. The possible formation mechanism of the SrCO3 crystals obtained in above two systems is discussed, which can be interpreted by particle-aggregation based non-classical crystallization laws. Sodium citrate and HMT may direct the formation of SrCO3 rod-like or branch-like structures by adsorbing onto certain facets of SrCO3 crystals. © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.