Journal Article
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117, iss. 7, pp. 3397-3404, 2020
Authors
Zhaoming Liu, Zhisen Zhang, Zheming Wang, Biao Jin, Dongsheng Li, Jinhui Tao, Ruikang Tang, James J. De Yoreo
Abstract
Significance
Understanding of the shape-preserving crystallization from transient amorphous precursors to crystalline products in biomineralization makes it possible to produce topologically complex morphologies that defy crystallographic controls. Here we use in situ liquid-phase TEM, FTIR, and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate transformation of amorphous CaCO
3
to crystalline phases in the presence of multiple additives. In situ observations reveal that Mg
2+
, which brings excess water into the bulk, is unique in initiating crystallization within the amorphous phase, leading to a shape-preserving transformation that is accompanied by dehydration. Simulation results find that the water accelerates ionic rearrangement within the solid phase, enabling the shape-preserving transformation. This in-depth understanding provides an alternative strategy for manufacturing crystals with arbitrary morphologies by design.
