Laser Light Scattering Observations of Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation in a Polymer-Induced Liquid-Precursor (PILP) Mineralization Process

摘要: A Polymer-Induced Liquid-Precursor (PILP) process for mineralization of calcium carbonate has been studied in-situ by laser light scattering. Static and dynamic scattering data were obtained from CaCl2 solutions containing poly(aspartic acid). Under these conditions mineralizes through a liquid droplet precursor phase when the solution is exposed to decomposition products ammonium carbonate. Our measurements probe integrated scatterer mass apparent hydrodynamic radius Rh,app droplets as they nucleate coalesce. The reveal three stages in formation PILP phase: an early stage growth ≈ 250 nm; mid-time fluctuations polydispersity particle size; final period where increases 350 nm micron scale. Aggregation droplets, rather than atom-by-atom growth, dominant mechanism mineral under conditions. With respect biomineralization, this first observation 100-nm-scale significant, implying possibility mineralize within nanoscale compartments which many biominerals form.