Design and understanding of solid-state and crystalline materials
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Paper
CrystEngComm, 2009, 11, 130 - 134, DOI: 10.1039/b811684a
Effects of chitosan on the alignment, morphology and shape of calcite crystals nucleating under Langmuir monolayers
Kyungil Kim, Ahmet Uysal, Sumit Kewalramani, Benjamin Stripe and Pulak Dutta
The growth of calcium carbonate crystals under Langmuir monolayers was investigated in the presence of chitosan, a soluble derivative of chitin added to the subphase to better simulate the polyelectrolyte-containing in vivo environment. Chitosan causes distinct concentration-dependent changes in the orientation, shape and morphology of the calcite crystals nucleating under acid and sulfate monolayers. Our results suggest that polyelectrolytes may play essential roles in controlling the growth of biogenic calcite crystals.
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