@misc{10481/55403,
year = {2018},
month = {2},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10481/55403},
abstract = {The self-assembly of alkaline earth carbonates in the presence of silica at high pH leads to
a unique class of composite materials displaying a broad variety of self-assembled superstructures
with complex morphologies. A detailed understanding of the formation process of these purely
inorganic architectures is crucial for their implications in the context of primitive life detection as
well as for their use in the synthesis of advanced biomimetic materials. Recently, great efforts have
been made to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms driving self-assembly in these systems,
resulting in a consistent model for morphogenesis at ambient conditions. In the present work,
we build on this knowledge and investigate the influence of temperature, supersaturation, and an
added multivalent cation as parameters by which the shape of the forming superstructures can be
controlled. In particular, we focus on trumpet- and coral-like structures which quantitatively replace
the well-characterised sheets and worm-like braids at elevated temperature and in the presence
of additional ions, respectively. The observed morphological changes are discussed in light of the
recently proposed formation mechanism with the aim to ultimately understand and control the major
physicochemical factors governing the self-assembly process.},
organization = {The research leading to these results has received funding from the European
Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC grant
agreement no. 340863.},
publisher = {MDPI},
keywords = {Biomorphs},
keywords = {Barium carbonate},
keywords = {Silica},
keywords = {Self-assembly},
keywords = {Temperature},
keywords = {Precipitation kinetics},
title = {Structural Transition of Inorganic Silica–Carbonate Composites Towards Curved Lifelike Morphologies},
author = {Opel, Julian and Kellermeier, Matthias and Sickinger, Annika and Morales, Juan and Cölfen, Helmut and García Ruiz, Juan Manuel},
}