title: Mimicking the growth of a pathologic biomineral: shape development and structures of calcium oxalate dihydrate in the presence of polyacrylic acid.
abstract: The morphogenesis of calcium oxalate hydrates in aqueous solutions was investigated by varying the pH, oxalate concentration, and the concentration of the sodium salt of polyacrylate (PAA). With increasing amounts of PAA in solution, the shape of tetragonal calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) changes from bipyramidal through elongated bipyramidal prisms to dumbbells and finally reverts to rodlike tetragonal bipyramidal prisms. PAA is incorporated into the prismatic zones of the growing COD crystals, thereby reducing the growth rate of the {100} faces along the <100> direction. Dumbbells start to develop through "non-crystallographic" branching from the prism faces and the formation of "multiple head" crystals. Adsorption of PAA on the rough surfaces of the splitting individuals supports the selection of new subindividuals and leads to the formation of core-shell patterns. The various shapes and structures of the biomimetic COD/PAA crystals and aggregates are closely related to the well-known "pathologic" individuals observed in the urine of patients with urinary disease (including urinary stones).
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe, Nöthnitzer Straße 40, D-01187 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Annu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosseeva
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hochrein
authors.forename: Wilder
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Carrillo-Cabrera
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duchstein
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zahn
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kniep
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000032:analysis*; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D003460:Crystallization; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D012996:Solutions; D002129:Calcium Oxalate