title: Biomimetic mineral self-organization from silica-rich spring waters.
abstract: Purely inorganic reactions of silica, metal carbonates, and metal hydroxides can produce self-organized complex structures that mimic the texture of biominerals, the morphology of primitive organisms, and that catalyze prebiotic reactions. To date, these fascinating structures have only been synthesized using model solutions. We report that mineral self-assembly can be also obtained from natural alkaline silica-rich water deriving from serpentinization. Specifically, we demonstrate three main types of mineral self-assembly: (i) nanocrystalline biomorphs of barium carbonate and silica, (ii) mesocrystals and crystal aggregates of calcium carbonate with complex biomimetic textures, and (iii) osmosis-driven metal silicate hydrate membranes that form compartmentalized, hollow structures. Our results suggest that silica-induced mineral self-assembly could have been a common phenomenon in alkaline environments of early Earth and Earth-like planets.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras 4, Armilla, Granada 18100, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4390, USA.
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nakouzi
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras 4, Armilla, Granada 18100, Spain.
authors.forename: Electra
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5789-846X
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kotopoulou
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras 4, Armilla, Granada 18100, Spain.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tamborrino
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4390, USA.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Steinbock
keywords: Aqua de Ney; Calcite; Chemical Gardens; Life detection; Prebiotic chemistry; Silica Biomorphs; nano composites; self-organization; witherite