Abstract
Abstract. We describe a small-scale, reusable, and low-cost double-diffusion setup that allows microscopic observation over time for use in mineral precipitation experiments that use organic polymers as a matrix. The setup uniquely accommodates changes in solution chemistry during the course of an experiment and facilitates easy harvesting of the precipitates for subsequent analysis.
Highlights
Investigations into the influence of organic materials and microbes on authigenic mineral precipitation has transformed our understanding of geosphere–biosphere interactions and improved our understanding of taphonomic processes that allow for the preservation of biological remains
The diffusion gel within which precipitation proceeds must be transparent to the imaging wavelength, and for undistorted optical imaging the region and/or material of interest should be housed within a planar transparent housing
A variety of physical setups have been used for decades by chemists investigating mineral precipitation kinetics and are generally one of three types: the single-diffusion (SD) method, in which an ion-containing gel is overlain with a solution of counterions that diffuse into the gel; the doublediffusion (DD) method, in which solutions of constituent ions are separated by a diffusion gel and into which the Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union
Summary
Investigations into the influence of organic materials and microbes on authigenic mineral precipitation has transformed our understanding of geosphere–biosphere interactions and improved our understanding of taphonomic processes that allow for the preservation of biological remains. The ability to observe nucleation, precipitation, and growth over time can provide insight into these processes. Observation and imaging over the course of an experiment, as well as post-experimental analysis, place strict requirements on the experimental setup, including the following: 1. The setup must provide an approaching flux of counterions while simultaneously and sufficiently slowing diffusion to avoid the instantaneous precipitation that would inhibit further crystal growth. 2. To enable microscopic observation over time, the setup must fit a microscope stage during the course of an experiment. 3. For post-experimental analysis of precipitates, the setup must allow harvesting of the materials of interest, which may be both precipitates and various nucleation substrates of interest. The ability to change experimental conditions mid-experiment should allow exploration of increasingly refined and focused questions. The apparatus allows detailed observation of progressive precipitation in situ, an example of which can be seen in Fig. S2 of the Supplement
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