Title: A Mesocrystal‐Like Morphology Formed by Classical Polymer‐Mediated Crystal Growth

Abstract

Abstract Growth by oriented assembly of nanoparticles is a widely reported phenomenon for many crystal systems. While often deduced through morphological analyses, direct evidence for this assembly behavior is limited and, in the calcium carbonate (CaCO ₃ ) system, has recently been disputed. However, in the absence of a particle‐based pathway, the mechanism responsible for the creation of the striking morphologies that appear to consist of subparticles is unclear. Therefore, in situ atomic force microscopy is used to investigate the growth of calcite crystals in solutions containing a polymer additive known for its ability to generate crystal morphologies associated with mesocrystal formation. It is shown that classical growth processes that begin with impurity pinning of atomic steps, leading to stabilization of new step directions, creation of pseudo‐facets, and extreme surface roughening, can produce a microscale morphology previously attributed to nonclassical processes of crystal growth by particle assembly.

Authors:

Smeets, Paul J. M.  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Smeets, Paul J. M."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-7281-0120"

Cho, Kang Rae ^[2]; Sommerdijk, Nico A. J. M.  ^[3];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Sommerdijk, Nico A. J. M."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8956-195X"

De Yoreo, James J. ^[4]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Molecular Foundry Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA 94720 USA, Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry and Center for Multiscale Electron Microscopy Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands, Physical Sciences Division Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland WA 99352 USA
2. Molecular Foundry Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA 94720 USA
3. Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry and Center for Multiscale Electron Microscopy Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
4. Molecular Foundry Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA 94720 USA, Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 USA

Publication Date:

Mon Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1378305

Grant/Contract Number:  

DE‐AC05‐76RL01830

Resource Type:

Publisher's Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Advanced Functional Materials

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Advanced Functional Materials Journal Volume: 27 Journal Issue: 40; Journal ID: ISSN 1616-301X

Publisher:

Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)

Country of Publication:

Germany

Language:

English