Abstract
The control over ice crystal growth, melting, and shaping is important in a variety of fields, including cell and food preservation and ice templating for the production of composite materials. Control over ice growth remains a challenge in industry, and the demand for new cryoprotectants is high. Naturally occurring cryoprotectants, such as antifreeze proteins (AFPs), present one solution for modulating ice crystal growth; however, the production of AFPs is expensive and inefficient. These obstacles can be overcome by identifying synthetic substitutes with similar AFP properties. Zirconium acetate (ZRA) was recently found to induce the formation of hexagonal cavities in materials prepared by ice templating. Here, we continue this line of study and examine the effects of ZRA and a related compound, zirconium acetate hydroxide (ZRAH), on ice growth, shaping, and recrystallization. We found that the growth rate of ice crystals was significantly reduced in the presence of ZRA and ZRAH, and that solutions containing these compounds display a small degree of thermal hysteresis, depending on the solution pH. The compounds were found to inhibit recrystallization in a manner similar to that observed in the presence of AFPs. The favorable properties of ZRA and ZRAH suggest tremendous potential utility in industrial applications.
Highlights
Ice growth and nucleation play a significant role in life on earth, for example, in the freezing of environmental water resources, as well as the freezing of water in plant and animal tissue, both of which can result in fatal damage
Ice crystals grown in the zirconium acetate hydroxide (ZRAH) solution at pH 3.3 assumed flat disc shapes (Fig. 1b), similar to the shape observed in a buffer solution (Fig. 1a) or in pure water [28]
thermal hysteresis (TH) Activity The findings of this study showed that the inorganic synthetic materials Zirconium acetate (ZRA) and ZRAH exhibited certain traits that are characteristic of antifreeze proteins (AFPs)
Summary
Ice growth and nucleation play a significant role in life on earth, for example, in the freezing of environmental water resources, as well as the freezing of water in plant and animal tissue, both of which can result in fatal damage. Organisms living in cold environments must respond appropriately to survive when temperatures drop below the freezing point. Such organisms have evolved a series of mechanisms for controlling ice growth and protecting themselves from freezing damage, either by avoiding freezing or by tolerating the freezing process. Control over ice growth is crucial in industrial settings as well. Processes such as ice templating are used in the engineering of porous materials [1,2]. Control over ice growth is crucial to maintaining the viability of cells, tissues, and organs [3,4]
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