Hierarchical Calcite Crystals with Occlusions of a Simple Polyelectrolyte Mimic Complex Biomineral Structures

Abstract

Biominerals are complex inorganic-organic structures that often show excellent mechanical properties. Here a bio-inspired study of a remarkably simple synthetic system is presented in which only one charged polymer additive (poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)) is able to induce hierarchical structuring of calcite similar to biominerals. The interaction of the negatively charged polymer with the nucleation and growth of the mineral, in particular via selective adsorption to internal and external (001) facets of the calcite lattice, implies structural features from the micrometer down to the nanometer level. The crystals exhibit a distinct rounded morphology and a controlled orientation. Moreover, the polymer molecules are occluded within the crystals with different concentrations in well-defined regions. This leads to the induction of a mesoscale structure based on 100 nm sized mineral building blocks with granular substructure and rough surface, as well as small modifications of the crystallographic structure. Such a combination of hierarchically organized structural features has previously only been reported for biogenic calcite, which is typically grown in a complex process involving multiple organic additives. It is also shown that the organic occlusions in the calcite-PSS hybrid crystals strongly affect the mechanical performance, as known for some biominerals.