title: Density functional theory determination of structural and electronic properties of struvite.
abstract: Crystallographic structure, total energy, electronic structure, and the most important elastic properties of struvite, NH(4)MgPO(4).6H(2)O, the main component of infectious urinary stones, are presented. The calculations were performed using ab initio full-electron calculations within the density functional theory-generalized gradient approximation (DFT-GGA) framework. The obtained crystallographic symmetry and the calculated lattice parameters and also the elastic constants are in good agreement with the experimental data. The elastic properties are essential for establishing an optimal response of urinary stones during shock-wave lithotripsy. The calculated electronic charge distribution confirms the layered structure of the struvite crystals. The polar character of the crystal, well-known from crystal growth experiments, was also confirmed by the magnitude of spontaneous polarization which was obtained from direct determination of the electrical dipole density. The calculated value of spontaneous polarization is equal to -8.8 microC cm(-2). This feature may play a key role in struvite crystallization, electrically binding the charged active impurities and other active species, and consequently determining urinary stone formation. We also present the results of our own experiment of the mineralization of struvite induced to growth by Proteus bacteria which are mainly isolated from infectious urinary stones.
authors.affiliation: Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Sokołowska 29/37, 01-142 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Romanowski
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kempisty
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prywer
authors.forename: Stanisław
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krukowski
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torzewska
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004548:Elasticity; D004581:Electronics; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D011789:Quantum Theory; D000069877:Struvite; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D010710:Phosphates; D000069877:Struvite