Abstract
AbstractSelf-assembled monolayers (SAMs) provide simple, yet sophisticated surfaces to mimic the effect of proteins associated with the process of biomineralization. A careful selection of organic molecules with an appropriate surface chemistry (i.e. HS-(CH2)n-X−supported on a metal surface) allows the nucleation and growth of oriented calcite crystals and provides opportunities to study the formation of inorganic crystals assisted by organic molecules. We have successfully crystallized calcite crystals on different SAMs in the presence of additives such as proteins and/or ions in solution, and found correlations between the orientations of crystals to their final shapes, sizes and morphologies. We report here our experimental results demonstrating how underlying organic molecules along with inorganic additives can control and mold the final shape, size and morphology of calcium carbonate crystals
Highlights
Sophisticated structures created by nature have always fascinated and inspired scientists
We extend the studies to include SAMs terminated in different functional groups supported on gold surfaces to analyze the generality of the effect of Mg ions on the morphology and size of oriented calcite crystals nucleated from various crystallographic planes
(CH2)15-COOH on Au nucleated from the (013) planes (Figure 1b), and (iii) HS(CH2)11-OH on Au surface uniformly nucleated from the (104) plane of calcite (Figure 1d). (It is important to mention that the majority of the crystals observed fall under the nucleating planes mentioned above, few crystals do not conform to the given nucleating planes, possibly due to the nucleation occurring at defect sites)
Summary
Sophisticated structures created by nature have always fascinated and inspired scientists. Crystals nucleated from SAM surfaces showed oriented calcite crystals, which have nucleated from different nucleating planes depending on the alkanethiols used to functionalize the surfaces. According to the XRD measurements, morphological analysis and computer simulations, crystals grown on: (i) HS-(CH2)10COOH on Au uniformly nucleated from the (113) plane of calcite (Figure 1a); (ii) SH-
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