title: Calcium carbonate mineralization: X-ray microdiffraction probing of the interface of an evaporating drop on a superhydrophobic surface.
abstract: The liquid/air interface of calcium bicarbonate solution drops was probed by synchrotron radiation microbeam scattering. The drops were deposited on a nanopatterned superhydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) surface and raster-scanned during evaporation by small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering. The appearance of about 200-nm-size calcite crystallites at the interface could be spatially resolved at the onset of crystallization. Diffuse scattering from the interface is attributed to a dense nanoscale amorphous calcium carbonate phase. Calcite was found to be the major phase in the solid residue with vaterite as minor phase.
authors.affiliation: Center of Bio-Nanotechnology and Engineering for Medicine, University Magna Græcia, Viale Europa, Catanzaro 88100, Italy. ngelo.accardo@esrf.fr
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Accardo
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burghammer
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Cola
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Fabrizio
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riekel
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D010316:Particle Size; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013499:Surface Properties; D014835:Volatilization; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D002119:Calcium Carbonate