Determining the Structure of Biomaterials Interfaces using Synchrotron-based X-ray Diffraction

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to explore the feasibility of using surface X-ray diffraction (SXRD) to determine the structure of biomineral surfaces in electrolyte solutions and of the adsorbed layer of acidic amino acids that are believed to play a central role in the control of biomineral formation and function. The work is a critical component in the development of an integrated picture of the physical and chemical basis for deposition and dissolution at solid-liquid interfaces in biological systems, and brings a new and very powerful surface-sensitive capability to LLNL. We have chosen as our model systems calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate in aspartic and glutamic acid-bearing solutions. The calcium compounds are ubiquitous among biomineral structures, both those that are beneficial such as bones and teeth, and those that are pathological such as kidney stones, while the two acidic amino acids--both as simple and poly-amino acids--are the dominant constituents of protein mixtures implicated in the control of biomineralization. The goals of the work are: (1) to determine the surface structure of pure calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate surfaces in aqueous solution using SXRD; (2) to determine how those surfaces are modified by the presence of aspartic and glutamic acid, both as the simple amino acids and as poly-aspartate and poly-glutamate and (3) to model the interactions of acidic amino acids with calcite.