Unveiling the formation mechanism of pseudo-single-crystal aragonite platelets in nacre

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Feb 20;102(7):075502. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.075502. Epub 2009 Feb 19.

Abstract

We demonstrate direct evidence that a single-crystal-like aragonite platelet is essentially assembled with aragonite nanoparticles. The aragonite nanoparticles are readily oriented and assembled into pseudo-single-crystal aragonite platelets via screw dislocation and amorphous aggregation, which are two dominant mediating mechanisms between nanoparticles during biomineralization. These findings will advance our understanding of nacre's biomineralization process and provide additional design guidelines for developing biomimetic materials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcium Carbonate / chemistry*
  • Calcium Carbonate / metabolism*
  • Crystallization
  • Gastropoda / chemistry
  • Gastropoda / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry

Substances

  • Calcium Carbonate