Elizabeth A. Kulp, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, MO
Inspired by Nature, chiral facets of calcite have been produced by electrodepositing films in the presence of L- and D-tartaric acid and L- and D-malic acid. The calcite films were deposited from a solution containing calcium bicarbonate by electrochemically increasing the local pH at the electrode surface. The addition of the chiral carboxylic acids and Mg2+ produced calcite deposits with only the (10-14) calcite peak observed by X-ray diffraction. SEM images of the morphologies grown in the presence of L-tartaric acid and D-tartaric acid were nonsuperposable mirror images of each other. Solutions with D- and L-malic acid produced comparable morphologies. A deposition solution with DL-malic acid produced symmetrical facets of calcite. Other chiral additives did not produce chiral morphologies, but did alter the polymorphs deposited.
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