Biomimetic synthesis of novel calcium carbonate heterogeneous dendrites

Abstract

Calcium carbonate dendrites with novel leaf- and snowflake-like morphology were synthesized with the combination of two different functional additives. They show fascinating heterogeneous domains made up of internal calcite scaffolding, aragonite shell and external amorphous calcium carbonate coating. They were formed in a gel-like solution composed of an amorphous or liquid-like mineral precursor. The developing dendrites arose from the correlation of solute diffusion and the driving force of crystallization. Their heterogeneous microstructures were determined by the balance between thermodynamic and kinetic reactions. Our research provided a novel procedure towards the formation of heterogeneous inorganic superstructures with the synergistic effects of two different additives.