Search results for "CALCITE"
showing 10 items of 191 documents
NC-AFM contrast formation on the calcite ($10\bar {1}4$) surface
2012
Calcite, the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate, is one of the most abundant simple salts in the geological environment. Consequently, its natural cleavage plane has been studied extensively by a wide range of surface-sensitive techniques, giving indications for two reconstructions, namely a (2 × 1) and a so-called ‘row-pairing’ reconstruction. The existence of the (2 × 1) reconstruction has been discussed controversially in the literature, but is now confirmed as a true surface property. In contrast, a comprehensive discussion on the existence of the row-pairing reconstruction is lacking so far.Here, we present a non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) study of the calcite s…
Bio-vaterite formation by glycoproteins from freshwater pearls
2010
Abstract A 48 kDa acidic and putative calcium-binding glycoprotein was isolated from pearls of the freshwater mussel Hyriopsis cumingii . This protein was compared with a related 46 kDa polypeptide, obtained from the nacreous shell of the same species. Separation by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that the difference in molecular weight is due to the higher extent of glycosylation of the 48 kDa protein existing in pearls. Evidence is presented that the sugar moieties of the protein contribute to crystal growth, starting with the nucleation step. In in vitro precipitation experiments, the 48 kDa glycoprotein of pearls directed the formation of round-shaped vaterite crystals whil…
Designed peptides for biomineral polymorph recognition: a case study for calcium carbonate
2020
With their unique ability for substrate recognition and their sequence-specific self-assembly properties, peptides play an important role in controlling the mineralization of inorganic materials in natural systems and in controlling the assembly of soft materials into complex structures required for biological functions. Here we report the use of an engineered heptapeptide that can differentiate between the crystalline anhydrous polymorphs of calcium carbonate. This peptide contains the positively charged amino acid arginine as well as proline rather than the prototypical negatively charged aspartate or glutamate units. Its affinity to vaterite compared to aragonite was demonstrated by fluo…
Sulfide mineral identification using laser-induced plasma spectroscopy
2003
Sulfide minerals in rock samples were identified with laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) in the near vacuum ultraviolet spectral region. Reference spectra of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, barite, calcite and dolomite were applied to classification of minerals in sulfur-bearing drill core samples. On the basis of the results mineral distributions in the sample were estimated. The potential of the LIPS method for in situ analysis is discussed.
Microscale magnesium distribution in shell of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis: An example of multiple factors controlling Mg/Ca in…
2019
Abstract Since magnesium concentration (Mg/Ca) in biogenic calcite is considered to reflect water temperature during precipitation, the magnesium-to‑calcium ratio has been examined as a proxy for water temperature in paleoclimate research, although factors other than temperature may also influence Mg/Ca in biogenic calcite, thereby introducing a potential bias in the relationship between Mg/Ca and temperature observed in inorganic systems. To better understand factors controlling Mg incorporation into the calcitic shells of bivalves, the distribution of Mg in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was studied, being compared with ambient sea surface temperature (SST), shell grow…
Molecular Self-Assembly of Enantiopure Heptahelicene-2-Carboxylic Acid on Calcite (1014)
2012
Chirality can have a decisive influence on the molecular structure formation upon self-assembly on surfaces. In this paper, we study the structures formed by enantiopure (M)-heptahelicene-2-carboxylic acid ((M)-[7]HCA) on the calcite (10 (1) over bar4) cleavage plane under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Previous noncontact atomic force microscopy studies have revealed that the racemic mixture of (M)-[7]HCA and (P)-[7]FICA (1:1) self-assembles into well-defined molecular double rows that are oriented along the calcite [01 (1) over bar0] direction. Here, we investigate the enantiopure (M)[7]HCA compound, resulting in distinctly different molecular structures upon deposition onto calcite (10 (1)…
Microbial origin for pedogenic micrite associated with a carbonate paleosol (Champagne, France)
1999
Abstract Micro-rods have been observed in indurated carbonate horizons (30 cm thick) that overlie a periglacial chalk formation, in contact with the present-day soil (Champagne, France). They are numerous in the upper part of the hardened layers. Variations in micro-rod morphologies are related to progressive biomineralization of organic matter, transforming purely organic rods into calcite. Mineralized rods undergo diagenesis and their arrangement evolves from a random mesh fabric to recrystallized micritic platelets to microsparite. Two types of organic micro-rods have been observed: bacilliform and thread-like bacteria. Mineralogically, micro-rods are low-magnesian calcite. Crystallograp…
Effects of organic matter complexation on partitioning of transition metals into calcite: Cave-analogue crystal growth experiments
2022
We highlight the potential for first row transition metals to carry paleohydrological signals in speleothems, and argue that these metals constitute valuable proxies for climate reconstructions. Metal availability to speleothems is hypothesised to be restricted by organic complexation, which strongly limits the free ion activity of transition metals (Co2+, Ni2+ and Cu2+) in dripwater, thereby creating a kinetic overprint on metal concentrations and isotope ratios in speleothem calcite. This study presents the results of the first cave-analogue experiments of transition metal partitioning into calcite in the absence and presence of organic ligands. The Geological Microclimate (GeoMic) system…
The magnesium isotope record of cave carbonate archives
2012
Here we explore the potential of magnesium (&delta;<sup>26</sup>Mg) isotope time-series data as continental climate proxies in speleothem calcite archives. For this purpose, a total of six Pleistocene and Holocene stalagmites from caves in Germany, Morocco and Peru and two flowstones from a cave in Austria were investigated. These caves represent the semi-arid to arid (Morocco), the warm-temperate (Germany), the equatorial-humid (Peru) and the cold-humid (Austria) climate zones. Changes in the calcite magnesium isotope signature with time are compared against carbon and oxygen isotope records from these speleothems. Similar to other proxies, the non-trivial interaction of a …
Biochemical characteristics of the soluble organic matrix from the shell of three recent terebratulid brachiopod species.
2008
7 pages; International audience; To build their shells, brachiopods secrete a mixture of proteins and polysaccharides, collectively called the organic matrix. This matrix mediates the calcification process by allowing crystal nucleation followed by elongation and finally by stopping the crystal growth. Ultimately, the matrix controls the different microstructures formed. Brachiopod shells are composites with both organic and inorganic constituents intimately associated. This work represents an attempt to characterize the matrices using two combined approaches: (1) scanning electron microscopy for localization within the shell, (2) analysing extracted matrices at the molecular level to deter…