0000000000013133
AUTHOR
Mathias Balz
showing 5 related works from this author
Nucleation and Growth of CaCO3 Mediated by the Egg-White Protein Ovalbumin: A Time-Resolved in situ Study Using Small-Angle Neutron Scattering
2008
Mineralization of calcium carbonate in aqueous solutions starting from its initiation was studied by time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). SANS revealed that homogeneous crystallization of CaCO 3 involves an initial formation of thin plate-shaped nuclei which subsequently reassemble to 3-dimensional particles, first of fractal and finally of compact structure. The presence of the egg-white protein ovalbumin leads to a different progression of mineralization through several stages; the first step represents amorphous CaCO 3, whereas the other phases are crystalline. The formation and dissolution of the amorphous phase is accompanied by Ca (2+)-mediated unfolding and cross-link…
Crystallization of the CaCO3 mineral in the presence of the protein ovalbumin
2004
Abstract The kinetics of CaCO3 mineralization was studied by SANS in a 0.1 M aqueous CaCl2 solution in the presence of the protein ovalbumin found in chicken eggs. As the scattering from the protein and the mineral was observed within different Q regimes the evolution of the protein and mineral could be followed independently. It is observed that ovalbumin denaturates during the first 3 h and leads to a strong enhancement of mineralization.
Crystallization of Vaterite Nanowires by the Cooperative Interaction of Tailor-Made Nucleation Surfaces and Polyelectrolytes
2005
The concepts of template-induced crystallization on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and the use of polymer additives are combined into a new strategy, where, through the cooperative interaction of a SAM matrix involved in the nucleation process, poly(acrylic acid), a dissolved polyelectrolyte, and the dissolved ions, hierarchically ordered mineral structures are formed. The adsorption of poly(acrylic acid) to the SAM is monitored using a quartz microbalance. Transmission electron microscopy measurements on samples that are taken from polyacrylate solution in short intervals after the start of the reaction reveals that nanometer-sized particles pre-formed in solution are being attached to t…
Morphosynthesis of Strontianite Nanowires Using Polyacrylate Templates Tethered onto Self-Assembled Monolayers
2005
Strontianite nanowires have been synthesized on self-assembled monolayers (SAM) in the presence of polyacrylate templates. The morphology of this product exhibits characteristic differences from that of products obtained in the absence of polyacrylate. It is demonstrated that the template-induced crystallization process involves the interaction between the SAM surface, polyacrylate (a dissolved polyelectrolyte), and the cations/anions in solution. By the combination of these components, hierarchically ordered mineral hybrid structures are formed.
Controlled Crystallization of CaCO3on Hyperbranched Polyglycerol Adsorbed to Self-Assembled Monolayers
2005
The formation of biominerals by living organisms is governed by the cooperation of soluble and insoluble macromolecules with peculiar interfacial properties. To date, most of the studies on mineralization processes involve model systems that only account for the existence of one organic matrix and thus disregard the interaction between the soluble and insoluble organic components that is crucial for a better understanding of the processes taking place at the inorganic-organic interface. We have set up a model system composed of a matrix surface, namely, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), and a soluble component, hyperbranched polyglycerol. The model mineral calcium carbonate displays diverse…