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Patel VK, Busupalli B. Light-modulated colour transformation in highly intertwined vertically growing silver tungstate tubes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:30727-30734. [PMID: 37934461 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp04329k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Achieving control over growth kinetics in chemical garden architectures is challenging due to the nonequilibrium conditions. In this study, we demonstrate the vertical growth of silver tungstate chemical garden tubes under both illuminated and dark conditions, a phenomenon not observed in a comparable silver-based system, specifically silver silicate, under light exposure. Physicochemical factors, viz. thermo chemical radius of the tungstate anion, its density-buoyancy relation, the osmotic pressure gradient, and the hydration enthalpy, contributed to the tube appearance in silver tungstate even in light. Tubes grown in light illumination were greyish black, while dark-grown tubes were creamy white, and both tubes appeared twisted and highly intertwined. The colour of the as obtained silver tungstate tubes could be transformed via exposure to light. In the presence of a strong oxidizing agent, the growing tubes retain the original creamy white colour even under illumination. Colour transformation in chemical garden tubes has not yet been observed, and this report could lead the way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Kirtikumar Patel
- Department of Chemistry, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar 382426, Gujarat, India.
| | - Balanagulu Busupalli
- Department of Chemistry, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar 382426, Gujarat, India.
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Patel VK, Busupalli B. Dissimilar chemobrionic growth in copper silicate chemical gardens in the absence or presence of light. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:768-771. [PMID: 36546324 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc06570c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The effect of the absence of light on chemical garden growth has been neglected although the gardens resemble hydrothermal vents that grow in dark in the sea/ocean. Herein, we report the differential growth of chemobrionic structures in copper silicate when identical reactions to yield copper silicate chemical gardens were carried out in the presence or absence of light. Irradiating the copper silicate chemical garden during its growth with different wavelengths of light independently resulted in morphologically divergent tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Kirtikumar Patel
- Department of Chemistry, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382426, India.
| | - Balanagulu Busupalli
- Department of Chemistry, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382426, India.
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Rieder J, Nützl M, Kunz W, Kellermeier M. Formation and Dynamic Behavior of Macroscopic Aluminum-Based Silica Gardens. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:10392-10399. [PMID: 35976253 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Chemical gardens are self-assembled structures with intricate plant-like morphologies and consist of mineralized membranes, which form spontaneously at interfaces between compartments with dissimilar chemical composition, most typically acidic metal salt and alkaline sodium silicate solutions. While this phenomenon is thought to occur in a number of practical settings, it has also proven to be valuable for investigating transport characteristics in distinct applied systems. For example, coupled diffusion and precipitation processes were monitored in silica gardens based on calcium and iron salts, considered to be models for cement hydration and steel corrosion, respectively. Here we extend these studies to the case of aluminum-based silica gardens, one of the so far less frequently investigated examples of silica gardens. To this end, single macroscopic tubes were prepared in a reproducible way by the controlled addition of sodium silicate solution to a pellet of pressed aluminum nitrate. Continued sampling of the volumes enclosed by and surrounding the formed membraneous structure allowed the time-dependent development of ion concentration gradients to be tracked over extended periods of time, while both the pH and electrochemical potential differences across the membrane were recorded online by immersed probes. The dynamic behavior revealed in this way was finally complemented by ex-situ analyses of the composition of the formed tubes. The collected data shows that the as-prepared tubular structures consist of sodium aluminosilicate phases with certain similarities to zeolites and geopolymers. The emerging tube wall was further found to be permeable to all ionic species present in the system, allowing significant electrochemical potential to be sustained over tens of hours until diffusion had eventually diminished the initially generated gradients. The findings of this work may have important implications for the geochemical fate of natural aluminosilicate sources, the use of such geopolymers in construction applications, and the synthesis and properties of zeolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Rieder
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Nützl
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Werner Kunz
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Kellermeier
- Material Science, BASF SE, RGA/BM - B007, Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, D-67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany
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Ding Y, Gutiérrez-Ariza CM, Zheng M, Felgate A, Lawes A, Sainz-Díaz CI, Cartwright JHE, Cardoso SSS. Downward fingering accompanies upward tube growth in a chemical garden grown in a vertical confined geometry. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:17841-17851. [PMID: 35851594 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp01862d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical gardens are self-assembled structures of mineral precipitates enabled by semi-permeable membranes. To explore the effects of gravity on the formation of chemical gardens, we have studied chemical gardens grown from cobalt chloride pellets and aqueous sodium silicate solution in a vertical Hele-Shaw cell. Through photography, we have observed and quantitatively analysed upward growing tubes and downward growing fingers. The latter were not seen in previous experimental studies involving similar physicochemical systems in 3-dimensional or horizontal confined geometry. To better understand the results, further studies of flow patterns, buoyancy forces, and growth dynamics under schlieren optics have been carried out, together with characterisation of the precipitates with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. In addition to an ascending flow and the resulting precipitation of tubular filaments, a previously not reported descending flow has been observed which, under some conditions, is accompanied by precipitation of solid fingering structures. We conclude that the physics of both the ascending and descending flows are shaped by buoyancy, together with osmosis and chemical reaction. The existence of the descending flow might highlight a limitation in current experimental methods for growing chemical gardens under gravity, where seeds are typically not suspended in the middle of the solution and are confined by the bottom of the vessel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ding
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - Carlos M Gutiérrez-Ariza
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras, 4, E-18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Mingchuan Zheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - Amy Felgate
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - Anna Lawes
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - C Ignacio Sainz-Díaz
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras, 4, E-18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Julyan H E Cartwright
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras, 4, E-18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain. .,Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Avenida de Fuente Nueva, s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Silvana S S Cardoso
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
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Busupalli B, Patel VK. Dark–induced vertical growth of chemobrionic architectures in silver based precipitating chemical gardens. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:4172-4175. [DOI: 10.1039/d1cc06430d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Light sensitivity of many silver compounds has restricted observation of silver based chemical gardens. Here we report for the first time, silver based chemical gardens grown in dark. An identical...
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