Biomimetic synthesis of dendrite-shaped aragonite particles with single-crystal feature by polyacrylic acid

The dendrite-shaped aragonite particles have been synthesized through the carbonation route, in which CO2 gas is bubbled through aqueous slurry of calcium hydroxide, in the presence of polyacrylic acid (PAA) at high temperature. The as-prepared products were characterized with scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope with selected area electron diffraction. It was found that the dendrite-shaped aragonite particle present the single-crystal feature. The effects of the reaction temperature and the concentration of PAA on the crystal polymorphs and morphologies of the as-prepared calcium carbonate were investigated. The results showed that both the organic additive and the reaction temperature turned out to be important parameters for the biomimetic synthesis of the dendrite-shaped aragonite particle. This research may provide new insight into the control of the polymorphs and morphologies of calcium carbonate.